TIPS FOR GROWING: Edition 15- Mindfulness
01.17.2024
TOPIC: Mindfulness
Easy to Implement Strategies to Use During Therapy & In The Classroom
Welcome to the Fifteenth Edition of Tips For Growing! These blog posts will focus on important clinical topics that are regularly encountered when working with children.
Today’s "Tips For Growing" will focus on Mindfulness.
We hope these seeds of information will help with the most important job there is . . . helping children grow.
Mindfulness: Easy To Implement Strategies To Use During Therapy & In The Classroom
Professionals that work with children are increasingly aware of the fragile state of many of their students’ mental health. There has been mounting research and guidance from government agencies and professional organizations on the mental health of youth.
In a November 2021 report from the World Health Organization, it was reported that: Worldwide, 10% of children and adolescents experience a mental disorder, but the majority of them do not seek help or receive care. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15–19-year-olds. The consequences of not addressing mental health and psychosocial development for children and adolescents extend to adulthood and limit opportunities for leading fulfilling lives.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Protection’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System stated the following: In the 10 years leading up to the pandemic, feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness—as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors—increased by about 40% among young people. In 2021, more than 4 in 10 (42%) students felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health.
The Office of the US Surgeon General released an advisory in 2023 that stated that: Children and adolescents on social media are commonly exposed to extreme, inappropriate, and harmful content, and those who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media face double the risk of poor mental health including experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. This is deeply concerning as a recent survey of teenagers showed that, on average, they spend 3.5 hours a day on social media.
The National Association of School Psychologists In their 2020 handout entitled Comprehensive School-Based Mental and Behavioral Health Services and School Psychologists stated the following: Good mental health is critical to children’s success in school and life. Research demonstrates that students who receive social–emotional and mental and behavioral health support achieve better academically. School climate, classroom behavior, engagement in learning, and students’ sense of connectedness and well-being all improve as well. Mental health is not simply the absence of mental illness but also encompasses wellness promotion; social, emotional, and behavioral health; and the ability to cope with life’s challenges.
What is Mindfulness?
To help meet these challenges, therapists need to expand the number and variety of interventions that target behavioral and mental health in children and adolescents. Considering our jobs are more demanding than ever, and the children often present with complex profiles, it is important to have tools that are relatively easy to implement. One approach is the use of Mindfulness.
The practice of Mindfulness has been described as deliberately and intentionally paying close attention to the present moment and your surroundings. This includes your feelings, thoughts, sensations, and your body state. It is the opposite of just doing things without thinking. It is paying attention to one moment at a time. In the practice of Mindfulness, one strives to be more fully engaged in what is going on around them without judgment and with more acceptance.
The practice of Mindfulness helps people be less reactive and overwhelmed. Through ongoing practice Mindfulness can help a person develop a positive outlook on life with increased awareness of the world around them.
In summary, mindfulness includes the ability to:
- Be aware (of yourself, others, and your surroundings)
- Be present (in the moment)
- Be thoughtful and kind (without judgment)
Benefits of Mindfulness
Research has shown that the introduction of mindfulness-meditation practices in educational settings can be useful to improve children’s emotional well-being, social abilities, and ability to learn. These interventions are relatively inexpensive to use and can fit into a wide range of contexts. In additions, these types of interventions have been found to be well accepted by pupils and staff.
Greater mindfulness correlated significantly with better academic achievement as measured by grade point average and standardized tests of mathematics and literacy, greater improvement in academic performance from the prior school year, better attendance, and fewer suspensions.
With practice, Mindfulness has been known to help children with the following:
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Increasing focus and attention
- Improving emotional control
- Improving ability to self-regulate
- Increasing empathy, compassion, and respect for self & others
- Improving physical well being
What are Typical Mindfulness Activities?
- Mindful breathing
- Mindful walking & outdoor exploration
- Participating in arts/crafts
- Yoga & other movement activities
- Mindful writing
- Mindful eating
- Mindful body scan & meditation
- Mindful listening
- Mindful guided imagery & brain breaks
Mindfulness Takes Practice
Teach by Example:
It takes practice to train your senses to focus selectively and be in the moment. Before introducing this practice to your students, begin by practicing mindfulness yourself. At first, you may be uncomfortable with taking time to slow down, practice mindfulness techniques, and just “be” in the moment. Make time for yourself. When your students/clients (and their parents) see you practicing mindfulness, they will be more willing to participate and use the techniques you model.
General Tips:
- “Change your words, change your mindset”- develop a positive rapport, a positive relationship, and shift the way you think, talk, and react to others.
- Start small – use the first few minutes of your session to teach and review techniques. Then, allow your mindful sessions to gradually expand. Encourage children to generalize the techniques into other activities throughout your therapy session or lessons.
- Be patient and flexible in your approach. Follow the child’s lead.
- When indicated, remind children that feelings are like the weather, they change. This may help the child feel less worried.
- When indicated, remind children that the past cannot be changed and we control everything about the future, so stay present.
- Props, props, props! Children love visuals, manipulatives, and “take away” items to help them learn the tools of mindfulness.
Examples of Easy To Implement Mindfulness Activities
Mindful Warm Up Activity Examples:
- Five Senses Activity- Provide child with a chocolate Kiss or peppermint. May also be a small piece of fresh or dried fruit. Prompt the child to unwrap the candy, look at the candy, smell the candy, feel the shape and texture of the candy, and finally taste the candy. Try using the following script:
- “Hold the candy in your hand. Unwrap the candy. Use your senses to first look at the candy- notice the color and shape. Feel the candy- is it hard, soft, bumpy, smooth? What is the temperature? Smell the candy-close your eyes, breathe in and out through your nose to smell the candy. Taste the candy- keep in your mouth several seconds before sucking or chewing. What do you taste?”
- Focus Each Sense- Encourage the child to focus on one sense at a time while there is no talking. For example, with eyes closed, only pay attention to what they hear. Next, pay attention to what is seen. Look for things that are red, things that are circular, things that are shiny, things that are square, things that are hard, things that are soft…
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Yoga & Mindful Movement Examples:
- Balancing Activity- Provide child with a small object such as a bean bag. Guide child to balance the object for a set period of time on the top of their head, shoulder, top of hand (on outstretched arm), top of knee, top of foot, etc.
- Mirror Me- The adult or selected child will be the leader. Another child mirrors the leader’s movements. The leader should mostly stay in a stationary space but will slowly and deliberately move their body so that the follower can imitate. There should be no talking.
- Yoga- This practice of physical exercises and body postures builds strength, flexibility, and confidence. Yoga allows for the practice of controlled deep breathing that helps calm and refresh the body and mind.
Yoga helps children of all abilities to:
- Develop body awareness
- Manage stress through breathing, meditation, and healthy movement
- Build concentration and sustained focus
- Participate in a non-competitive, supportive practice of exercise for the body & mind
- Increase flexibility in joints and improve balance
- Feel energized
Breathing:
- Take a Breath- smell the flower, blow out the candle
- Heart & Belly Breathing- child keeps one hand on abdomen, one hand on heart
- Breathing Ball (Hoberman Sphere)
- Blowing Bubbles
- Use straw to blow puff balls or feathers
- Breathing anchor (place hand on abdomen, chest, or in front of mouth to feel breath) while vocalizing shh, sss, or zzz
- Shoulder Sighs-raise shoulders on inhale and release shoulders down on exhale
- Lion’s Breath- breathe in and stick tongue out on exhale
- Trace & Breathe Visuals- for breath control Example: 4 square, triangle, figure 8, half circle, & starfish breath - Find resources here!
- Snow Globe Breathing Cup -Find this NEW resource here!
- Take 5 Breaths - Breathing Strip - Find these NEW resources here!
Mindful Art/Crafting: While painting or engaging in other creative activities with your hands, your focus is on the given task and not necessarily on other worries. It can be very soothing and gratifying to create something beautiful.
- Mandala Coloring
- Rangoli Coloring - Find resource here!
- Rock Painting
- Mindful Coloring - Find this NEW resource here!
Color your Feelings 2024: Color one image each day to help determine how you are feeling for that day.
Mindful Writing:
- Gratitude Journal- Useful for older students to record what they are grateful for that day. For example, the sun, lunch, a warm coat, the bus ride, a friend, etc.
- Find this NEW resource here!
Body Scan & Meditation:
What is a Body Scan?
- A body scan is a form of mindfulness. This technique can help a student calm and center their body.
- It involves paying attention to parts of the body and sensations in a gradual sequence.
- This calming body scan allows a student to focus on areas of their body, scanning for whatever their body is feeling.
- This guided meditation technique can be used to grow a student’s self awareness, make connections between how they feel (emotions) and their physical body. This all aids in self regulation.
- Find this NEW resource here!
Outdoors: Being outside in nature reduces the stress hormone cortisol. Use the opportunity to explore with your senses- sights, sounds, smell, touch. Even if you cannot make it deep into nature, just sitting outside will provide a new sensory experience for re-setting.
Affirmation Cards:
- These are first person statements that are used to encourage the user to think positively and confidently.
- They can be used to minimize self-doubt and other negative thoughts.
- Find this NEW resource here!
Mindful Brain Breaks: Designed for use when your students appear over aroused and need to reset, calm and focus.
MINDFUL Brain Break Resources Include:
(1.) Task List: Designed for use when your students appear over aroused and need to reset, calm and focus. Includes 5 pages and 23 different activities!
(2.) Imagine & Visualize Activity: Designed for use when your students appear over aroused and need to reset, calm and focus.
(3.) Roll a Mindful Brain Break: Roll a die for each column. Complete the mindful brain breaks that match the numbers rolled. Includes 2 Versions and a total of 5 different activities!
(4.) Mindful Brain Break Posters: Includes 12 high quality color posters.
(5.) Mindful Brain Break Cards: Includes 24 high quality color cards.
(6.) Mindful Desk Strips: Explicitly teach each strategy prior to placing desk strip on child’s desk/table. Tape desk strip on child’s desk/table to allow for a visual of brain breaks. Includes 3 different versions.
Self Regulation & Emotional Control Tools: Being mindful of our students' social-emotional needs is more important than ever. Helping students to identify their emotions assists them in learning self-regulation skills. Here are perfect tools to help assess the feelings and emotions of your students.
(1.) NEW! How Does your Body Feel? Label Emotions
(2.) NEW! Daily Feelings Check In - Cut + Paste
(3.) NEW! Emotion Check - For Older Students
(4.) NEW! Let’s write! PROBLEM SOLVING
(5.) How Do You Feel Today? Desk Strips & Visuals to Support Emotional Control
Self Regulation & Sensory Break Cards: These easy to use cards are designed to prompt a student to select a strategy or activity to solve a problem, regulate their activity level, alertness, and/or emotions.
Cards are organized into the following areas:
- Use Your Brain: Self Talk & Positive Thoughts
- Exercise: Move for Better Coping
- Deep Pressure: Regulate Your Body
- Relaxation: Calm Down
Sensory Tools
- Tastes
- Sounds & Music- Ring the chime then pass from child to child until it stops ringing (yoga chimes sold on amazon)
- Visual-Sensory Glitter bottles are containers of sensory materials used by children to safely observe and explore. Their use can have a positive impact on attention, emotional regulation, and sensory awareness.
- Touch- Stereognosis Games & Tactile Recipes
Tools to Grow Sensory Tools - Click Links Below:
- Winter Sensory Jar
- Sensory Bins
- What’s Inside My School? Feel & Find Tactile Discrimination
- Feel A Shape Stereognosis
- Fun Finger Paint
- My Senses! Exploration Station
Summary
In summary, integrating mindfulness practice with students can help children cope with stress, promote self-regulation, and make positive choices. This in turn can help support a student’s academic achievement and other types of success at school and home. Plus, the good news is that most of these techniques are inexpensive, do not require a special environment to implement, and are relatively easy to prepare.
We hope these seeds of information will help with the most important job there is . . . helping children grow.
Kind regards,
Patti & Shelley
Your Team at Tools to Grow, Inc.
Additional Resources:
- Missionbe.org
- Calm Mindfulness Flash Cards For Kids, Wynn Kinder
- Blissful Kids: Mindfulness Made Playful and Sustainable (www.blissfulkids.com)
- Mindful (www.mindful.org)
- Left Brain Buddha (www.leftbrainbuddha.com)
- A Mindful-Based Kindness Curriculum (www.mindfulmomentsinedu.com)
References:
Cabillero, Camila, Scherer Ethan, West, Martin R., Mrazek, Michael D., Gabrieli, Christopher F. O., Gabrieli, John D. E. (June 18, 2019). Greater Mindfulness is Associated With Better Academic Achievement in Middle School. Journal of the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society.
Crescentini, Cristiano, Capurso Viviana, Furlan, Samantha, Fabbro, Franco (June 7, 2016). Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation for Primary School Children: Effects on Attention and Psychological Well-Being. Frontiers in Psychology
Weare, Katherine, Emeritus Professor, Universities of Exeter and Southampton (April 2012). Evidence for the Impact of Mindfulness on Children and Young People. The Mindfulness in Schools Project.
Related Topics: Mindfulness, Tips for Growing
