Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment.
It is an awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations (5 senses), and of the surrounding environment.
Research has demonstrated that practicing mindfulness can benefit students by:
- Improving attention
- Supporting emotional regulation
- Creating greater compassion
- Reducing stress and anxiety
Three key elements of mindfulness are:
Being Aware: Having deliberate awareness, (paying attention on purpose).
Being Nonjudgmental: Not seeing things as good or bad or through a filter of personal judgments, but seeing things as they are.
Being Nonreactive: Reacting is an automatic response, which implies no choice. It is not always the best choice, for the individual or for others.
Mindfulness techniques allow you to take a moment and resettle when you feel stressed, anxious or out of control. Three basic mindfulness techniques involve breathing, movement and rest .
Breathe: When you are nervous or anxious about something, your breathing tends to become rapid and labored . Using simple breathing techniques can slow down your breathing, allowing you to relax and stay in control.
Breathe in for three seconds,
hold for four seconds and
breathe out for five seconds
Move: Students need to move. A quick stretch break can help students to refocus when they are feeling fatigued. Movement activities can be done while seated or standing. Crossing the midline (moving the left arm to the right side of the body and right to left) has been shown to stimulate the brain.
Rest: Just taking a 15-second break can help students to relax and refocus.
Be Still and Listen: Have students sit and listen for 10-15 seconds and tell you what they hear.
Mindfulness techniques can significantly reduce stress and anxiety for both tutors and students. We encourage tutors to use mindfulness breaks with their students and to incorporate mindfulness as part of their daily routines.
Additional activity directions are listed on the Mindfulness Bookmark.
Additional Resources: Selecting Read-Alouds