This graphic is a simple way to understand the benefits of teaching and practicing mindfulness. Would you rather react or respond?
When you take a minute to look at the definitions you see that a Reaction is a action or feeling expressed and a Response is an answer.
Mindfulness helps us step back from an action and helps us answer.
A student who is always has an action related to a stimuli needs our help with finding the answer instead.
Mindfulness with older students can be a challenge, but it's not impossible, and it's needed.
With each passing year our technology increases and in-person communication skill decreases. Children are not playing games together in-person, but rather online. Online they call each other names and simply shut the device off when they are frustrated. In-person they would have to face the other person while saying mean words and learn to resolve conflict.
As educators we need to think about the interpersonal skills lost and how it affects education. Are you seeing a rise in behaviors such as; students responding with a "no", students touching each other, students leaving class, etc?
If we think about our student's days we can guess that after school they spend time on a screen, on social media, and they stay up late. Some of them may have parents who work late, others like the oldest two in my house simply go to their room and only come out at meal time. Our students are not interacting with others in-person. Our students are causing, creating, and joining conflict online and not resolving it. And it all spills into school.
What if we had a way to teach them to quiet their minds, calm their bodies, and focus their energy? What if we had a way to teach self-reflection, self-compassion, and conflict-resolution?
We do.
Mindfulness.
Research after research after research continues to show us that mindfulness improves school attendance, improves grades, improves mental health, IMPROVES STUDENTS!
If you need help with teaching students mindfulness use Inner Explorer. Last week several third graders, Mrs. Ali, and myself had the opportunity to meet one of the creators of the program who also voices several of the mindful practices. Our students were interviewed about mindfulness. The Inner Explorer team that came to the school also included a former NHA employee. The team was impressed with our third grade and hearing about our kindergarten team and how they all utilize mindfulness daily.
If you still need help after implementing Inner Explorer, reach out to me. I have resources for ALL ages in my office. That means even middle school resources.
Take a minute to really look at this next graphic and think about your students.
The website mentalup.co shared this graph and then the information listed below:
Mindfulness for teenagers:
- Promotes happiness
- Reduces stress
- Helps overcome anxiety
- Helps deal with ADHD
- Enhances learning ability
- Raises body awareness
- Grows patience
- Encourages considerate actions
- Helps defeat depression
- Builds tolerance
- Sharpens memory
- Increases focus and attention
- Builds social intelligence
- Helps evaluate and control behavior
- Helps manage emotions
- Supports mental health
Please take time to think about the positive impact of mindfulness and how to help your students finish the year strong.
