by Katie Nicol | Director, SchoolAdvice Academy  | [email protected]

Mindfulness in Education

A person’s wellbeing and capacity to be engaged in their learning go in hand in hand. Having one without the other creates an imbalance. In today’s education system more and more students are experiencing toxic stress because the demands of life are consistently outpacing the students’ ability to cope with these varied demands that are placed upon them. These are not simply academic demands, but family life and most notably, their social lives which is becoming harder and harder for students to navigate because of the constant connectivity via social media.  When toxic stress occurs it impairs a person’s attention, emotion, mood regulation, sleep and the students’ readiness to learn. In this state, the students’ minds are not able to fully engage with their environment. It is in these moments, where giving students a safe place to learn to breathe and connect with themselves without interference becomes enormously important for their continued development.

It may seem idealistic to be able to teach mindfulness concepts to a group of young children but in fact, it is extremely well suited for educational settings. Every classroom is full with students who have had varied experiences in their life, and have different stresses, anxieties and triggers.  It is in these settings where mindfulness is needed the most. It does take practice but it’s simple, inexpensive and can be practiced by anyone at any time which makes it a great tool for schools, educators, and families.

The Goals

The Goals of Mindfulness

To help students to learn:

• Self Awareness
• Empathy
• Strategies to calm and focus the mind
• Mindful Communication
• Applying mindfulness to everyday life

The Benefits

The Benefits of Mindfulness