Practicing Mindfulness in the Classroom

The Benefits of Mindfulness

There have been several studies that show how beneficial it can be to practice mindfulness daily. The American Physiological Association lists some benefits as reduced stress levels, improving working memory, improved focus,  less emotional reactivity to situations, and more cognitive flexibility . HELLO? Isn’t that like everything we try to improve in a classroom? 

There are some crazy cool benefits to practicing mindfulness either in the classroom or even at home. We teachers definitely need some self-care in our lives. Teachers have one of the most stressful jobs, and many of us work long past the ring of the last dismissal bell, am I right? This can lead to feelings of resentment, frustration, and anger. Sometimes these feelings get directed at the ones we love most, like our family, or even onto the kids who we dedicate our lives teaching. Practicing mindfulness daily can help to alleviate  a lot of that stress and provide us with a little perspective and “me time” we so deserve. 

In the Forbes article, “6 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Mindfulness And Meditation,” author Jenna Cho states that practicing mindfulness can reduce anxiety,  reduces implicit age and race bias, increases body satisfaction (a favorite side effect of mindfulness for Katy for sure), improves cognition, and even helps the brain to reduce distractions. Article after article that we read online listed a positive correlation between mindfulness and student achievement.

When it comes to practicing mindfulness, repetition is key. Research suggests that in order to re-wire neural pathways, mindfulness and gratitude journaling should be practiced for 10 minutes a day for 30 days. Reflecting on past experiences and practicing mindfulness can be difficult for many students. The more time they spend reflecting on their lives and beginning to set goals for themselves, the easier it will become. Make it fun for your students. We like to put on quiet music for our students on some days; while other days, we may play some fun and lively music to get our students in a positive mood. 

If you would like to try out mindfulness journaling with your students, we have an awesome resource that is brand new in our Teacher pay teacher store. Do you practice mindfulness in your classroom? We would live to hear from you. Comment below or stop by our Instagram or Twitter accounts and say hi!

Until next time teacher friends.

Bottoms up!