Why classroom mindfulness REALLY works and 3 simple, fun activities to get you started.

We know that mindfulness is an important skill that young people should learn to help manage stress and worry. But as educators, we also know that making time for mindfulness potentially means sacrificing time from another, equally important activity in an already packed curriculum. If we are going to incorporate mindfulness, it needs to be worth it!

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In this blog, I will explain how and why mindfulness works to reduce anxiety and share three simple mindfulness activities that take less than 5 minutes each and should not impact your curriculum planning.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful events or experiences. It becomes problematic for students when they are in a constant state of worry, even when they are in a safe environment.  

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When we feel anxious, we are living in the past or the future. What I mean by that is we are worrying about things that have happened in the past or things that might happen in the future. This repetitive thinking about the past and future is called rumination. The person is lost in thought, and in that moment, living in the past or future.

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Now, think about a time when you were really living in the moment. On a tropical beach, sharing a moment with a loved one, eating an outstanding meal. Try to imagine yourself there now. How do you feel? Anxious?

Think of a child really in the moment, jumping on a trampoline, lost in play with friends, engrossed in an art activity. Would you imagine them worrying in this moment?

The Opposite of Worry

In his book ‘The Opposite of Worry’, Laurence J Cohen explains that in order to help reduce feeling of anxiety and worry in young people, you need to move them to a calm, playful and present state and then keep them there as much as possible.  Mindful activities work because they pull us out of rumination and into the present. Mindfulness activities achieve this by raising the young person’s awareness of where they are right now- in their bodies.

Everyone is different

It is important to note here that mindful activities are not for everyone. Spunout.ie have reported that 25% of young people reported experiencing unpleasant experiences with Mindfulness. Openly acknowledging that mindful activities are not for everyone and adopting an ‘opt in or out’ approach with your students can help mitigate this. The goal is to develop a bank of grounding and calming class exercises that your students can select from according to what works for them individual. Or they can simply take a short rest while the activity is going on.

It is also important to be aware that people who have experienced trauma may find paying close attention to what is going on in their body triggering or distressing. Some students may find exercises that focus on their external world rather than internal worlds more enjoyable. (Like the 54321 activities below). Providing a range of mindful exercises to choose from, adopting an ‘opt-in or out’ approach and asking for regular feedback will help you create a classroom practice that hopefully all your student will find calming.

A calm, regulated classroom begins with calm, regulated teacher.

As educators, we understand the impact of modelling behaviours and I would recommend partaking in mindful activities with your students, wherever possible. I am a strong believer in the power of taking regular opportunities throughout the teaching day to self-regulate and ground, even if just for a minute or two! You too are an individual and it is important to reflect on how these activities make you feel and create your own bank of what works best for you.

Mindful Activities (in under 5 minutes)

Classroom mindful activities work by activating the five senses to bring young people back to the present (and out of their ruminating minds).

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For these activities, the class should listen to the teacher speak and consider their answers in silence. Encourage them to sit straight with their feet on the ground and relax their shoulders. They may close their eyes if they wish.  Those not partaking can rest their heads on their tables or complete an alternative activity of their choosing silently.

1)    54321. (2 minutes)

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Is a calm and slow voice, ask the children sit silently and identify (silently):

5 things they can see.

4 things they can feel. (furniture, clothing etc)

3 things they can hear. (birds, laptop, rain)

2 things they can smell. (sanitiser, deodorant, air freshener)

1 thing they can taste. (saliva, lunch)

2)    Squeezy Lemon (2 Minutes)

Script: Pretend you have a lemon in your hand. Squeeze as hard as you can. Get every drop out. Tense your arms and shoulders and whole-body to get every last drop out. Squeeze more and more! Can you imagine the smell the juice and feel it running down your arm? How do you feel? Now stop and drop the lemon. How do you feel now? Can you feel all the tension disappearing from your body? Shakeout any remaining tension from your body.

3)    Mindful Fruit Break (5 Minutes)

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Kids love a fruit break scheduled between their morning classes (and it helps get their 5 a day!) Why not schedule a 5-minute mindful fruit break at 10 am every day?

Script: Look at your snack. Notice small details. Where did it come from? Who grew it? How did it get to you? How does it feel? What does it smell like? Take your first bite and chew very slowly. Is there juice? Is it crunchy or soft? What textures, flavours and smells do you notice. Savour every bite. What sounds can you hear as you eat.

You can find free printable classroom resources for these lessons at the bottom of this page and/or in the resources tab.

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Conclusion

Moving a student from rumination and into the present and keeping them there throughout the day, will help reduce their overall level of anxiety. Young people who spend most of their time in a calm, playful state are less likely to experience meltdowns and anxiety attacks when faced with challenges.

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Once familiar with these activities, they are also great to help calm a student who is already in an agitated state. (It is important to note if these activities are introduced to an overwhelmed/agitated student who has no experience of them, they are extremely unlikely to work and may potentially upset them further). Familiarity, choice and practice are key!  Remember that each young person is different. Asking for and listening carefully to feedback will help you to provide a wide variety of tools they can choose from when self-regulating.

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Completing these activities daily at a set time (after yard, at home time, at 12:00) will build and maintain a regular sense of calm in your class. Why not start with a 2-minute daily practice and see what impact it has? Do you think any of these activities would work for your class? Every class is different so it’s good to try a variety and see what works best for you!

Next Steps..

If you would like to learn more about supporting students with anxiety in the classroom, you are welcome to join one of my online webinars. To book or learn more, check out what webinars are currently running in the Services tab on the top of this page.

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[i] I highly recommend a read ofLaurence J. Cohen PhD.’s ‘Opposite of Worry’ if you are interested in learning more on how to manage anxiety in children. It’s a book for parents, but also very relevant to educators.https://www.omahonys.ie/the-opposite-of-worry-p-380435.html

[ii] https://spunout.ie/voices/advice/mindfulness-meditation-doesnt-work

[iii] https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/blog/choosing-your-meditation-style/202006/trauma-informed-mindfulness

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