Time
1-2 minutes
Frequency
Daily
Material
N/A
Purpose
To help students become more present in their daily interactions with others
- Have a mindful message every day, during morning announcements or during transition times, and take two minutes for mindfulness.
- For example, encourage students to tune into their breathing, do a body scan activity to relieve tension, or engage in positive self-talk/affirmations.
- Play quiet music or sound a chime to begin moments of silence and stillness. During this time, students are encouraged to say a mantra quietly in their minds.
- Debrief/check in at the end of the two minutes of mindfulness to determine if the moment was helpful for students or not.
Mindfulness allows students to practice acceptance of their internal states, their external environment, and their peers. Students who engage in mindfulness at school demonstrate improvements in focus, maintaining attention, regulating emotions, and have more favourable social interactions (Felver et al., 2016). Additionally, mindfulness education is linked to an increase in optimism, social competence and self-concept for students (Schonert-Reichl & Lawlor, 2010). Teachers report that integrating these practices is both easy and beneficial (Schonert-Reichl & Lawlor, 2010).
Felver, J. C., Celis-de Hoyos, C. E., Tezanos, K., & Singh, N. N. (2016). A Systematic Review of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Youth in School Settings. Mindfulness, 7(1), 34-45. doi:10.1007/s12671-015-0389-4
Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Lawlor, M. S. (2010). The effects of a mindfulness-based education program on pre-and early adolescents’ well-being and social and emotional competence. Mindfulness, 1(3), 137-151.
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