The importance of mindfulness in education

Children sometimes face stressful situations that make them feel anxious. The routine, homework or extracurricular activities can be some of the reasons why students feel tense and under pressure. In addition, we have to take into account that we, and especially children, are living a difficult situation and this can cause stress as well. 

However, there is a relaxation-based technique called “mindfulness” that can be used to deal with different problems caused by situations that children face every day. 

Through mindfulness, students:

–     Reduce their stress improving the ability to manage it.
–     Develop their conflict resolution skills and empathy.
–    Improve their physical well-being and their creativity.
–    Enhance their social skills.

So children will find much easier to focus and engage actively in the classroom. Therefore and in order to put this technique into practice, it is important that the teacher chooses the proper activities for her/his students, taking into account their personal characteristics, situations, likings… and once she/he has done that, it is time to practice mindfulness at least, twice per week, adapting the exercises to the students‘ needs and setting a space and time to practice it. 

In addition, It is also very useful to use this technique at home because it will help parents to manage their children and improve the family relationships. Some advices to put mindfulness into practice at home are:

–    Choose a “Cosy corner” at home where you can talk, share moments and practice the exercises. Each member of the family can have something significant for him/her like a photo, object…
–    Set a time: Schedule practice sessions like for example before going bed is a wonderful time to do it because it relaxes and you can rest better. 
–    Share your experiences: It is important to talk, and give advice when needed. This will help to enhance the relationships between members in the family.