If you are reading Onward, you are probably well aware by now of the importance of mindfulness for yourself and you are curious how to start implementing this in your school setting. Although this is happening more and more, you still may have to convince some people in your system that this is necessary. And that is where today’s resource comes in.
The article in The Atlantic, When Mindfulness Meets the Classroom, has everything you need to support the introduction of mindfulness to your school. “Still, the body of scientific research illustrating the positive effects of mindfulness training on mental health and well-being—at the level of the brain as well as at the level of behavior—grows steadily more well-established: It improves attention, reduces stress, and results in better emotional regulation and an improved capacity for compassion and empathy. Brain-imaging studies at Harvard and Mass General Hospital have shown that long-term mindfulness training can help thicken the cortical regions related to attention and sensory processing, and may offset thinning of those areas that typically comes with aging. Mindfulness is widely considered effective in psychotherapy as a treatment not just for adults, but also for children and adolescents with aggression, ADHD, or mental-health problems like anxiety.
And if you school already implements a mindfulness program, share your story here to inspire others that are just starting out!