The school corridor was a place of bullying, backpack grabbing and anxiety for me as a child. I felt unsafe there. Nowhere in my education did anyone suggest mindfulness as a key to regulating my fears, worries and depression. It’s a shame.
Fast forward some 20 years and I walk down the hall of my daughter’s school. I hear kids singing “miiiiiiiiiindfulness”. I see bright, excited smiles. This is the reaction I get when I come to teach Mindfulness to the elementary students on Mondays.
I think it is beautiful that the world is waking up to the power of the present moment.
We are seeing a connection between putting down screens and better mental health.
We are seeing how our children light up when we connect with them in the Here and Now.
Two mindfulness exercises to teach your kids - TODAY.
School can be stressful and these exercises are fast and effective. They can be done as a class or individually and they are quiet enough to be practiced any time during the school day.
1. Peace Begins With Me (PBWM) - Using a mantra for focus.
Use this:
Any time at school when things are getting loud.
The beginning of the day or after lunch.
When emotions feel big and unmanageable.
A mantra is a word or sound repeated to aid concentration.
I like to teach kids the mantra “peace begins with me”.
Have your child practice saying this phrase while touching the thumb on each hand to the tip of each finger in turn.
Peace (touch thumbs to pointer fingers)
Begins (touch thumbs to middle fingertips)
With (ring fingers)
Me (pinkies)
Repeat this phrase 10 times while touching fingertips. Try saying it out loud at first, then whispering it and finally saying it silently in your head.
I like to share this exercise with my child’s teachers to practice at the start of each school day or at times when the classroom gets too chaotic. It brings the children back to the present, reminds them that they have the power to control their own mood and best of all - it feels really good to do!
2. The five senses game (tuning into the senses)
Use this:
When you are feeling distracted.
When your thoughts are getting away from you.
To calm yourself.
There are so many distractions at school. Kids can reconnect to the task at hand by quickly running through their 5 senses. By simply labeling what is happening around the classroom you make a choice not to get sucked into the distractions.
I hear Kyle’s pencil tapping…. I see my teacher pacing back and forth. I smell lunch cooking from somewhere down the hall.
Teach your child to ask themself what they are experiencing with each sense. It is about labeling what you are sensing without judging the experience.
“I hear the pencil tapping.” Not : “Kyle is so annoying!”
They can write the answers down or simply think about them. Either way, their awareness will switch from distracted to present and focused.
I am seeing ________
I am feeling ________
I am hearing ________
I am smelling _______
I am tasting _________
School doesn’t have to be stressful. There will be challenges your children face this year, but the more prepared they are to manage their emotional experiences, the happier they will be. Children and parents alike can benefit from mindfulness. Taking good care of your mind, body and spirit is just as important as achieving good grades. If you are reading this, you already know that. Keep up the great work!
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For more on mindfulness in schools and how to help your child succeed without stress, check back often to The LooM.
Written by Maeby Lopez, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Professional Organizer
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