The Power of Mindfulness in Schools

Why teach mindfulness in schools?

Introducing mindfulness to children early on can equip them with the necessary tools and skills to lead fulfilling and confident lives. For the schools they attend, it can also be an effective method of motivating students and preparing them adequately for their future. Simple yet memorable mindfulness techniques tend to be well-received by children, even in the most challenging classroom settings.

Benefits for students of mindfulness in schools

The benefits of mindfulness for students are well-supported by research, including:

• Wellbeing and Mental Health: Mindfulness helps students recognize worry and manage difficulties, cope with exams, and appreciate what is going well in their lives.
• Concentration and Cognition: Mindfulness trains students to understand and direct their attention, which may improve their capacity to concentrate, reduce distractions, and enhance working memory and planning skills.
• Social and Emotional Learning: Mindfulness helps students to develop greater awareness of relationships, manage difficult situations, and build self-esteem and optimism.
• Behaviour: Mindfulness can also help students self-regulate, manage impulsivity, and reduce conflict and oppositional behaviour.

Benefits for teachers of mindfulness in schools

Mindfulness is not just for students; teachers can also benefit from this practice. Here are some of the ways mindfulness can help teachers:

• Stress Reduction: Mindfulness can help teachers reduce stress and regulate their emotions.
• Self-Compassion: Mindfulness can help teachers develop greater self-compassion and empathy.
• Teaching Efficacy: Mindfulness can help teachers become more effective in the classroom.

How to bring mindfulness to schools

To teach mindfulness effectively to children and young people, it’s important that teachers develop their own understanding first... just as you wouldn’t want to be taught to swim by someone who has never been in a pool.

The first step is an introductory course, such as Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP)’s ".begin" programme. .begin introduces adults to mindfulness over eight weeks via online group sessions of approximately 90 minutes per week, usually in the evening.

Following on from .begin, MiSP has designed a comprehensive set of age-appropriate curricula, starting from just 3 years old. Schools can either seek outside experts to deliver the curricula or create their own sustainable teaching model by training staff in-house.

More about MiSP

Established in 2009, MiSP is an international, not-for-profit charity that aims to improve the lives of a generation of children and young people by making a genuine, positive difference to their wellbeing and resilience.

MiSP wants to introduce mindfulness as a set of key life skills to help young people, and those who care for them, better cope with what comes their way, navigate challenges and engage more positively with opportunities.

Visit the Mindfulness in Schools Project website for more information or follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter).

This content was produced by the Mindfulness in Schools Project. Services provided by the Mindfulness in Schools Project are non-regulated.

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