At a glance
- Mindfulness is the practice of being fully aware of your thoughts and feelings (without judgment or negative reactions) in any given moment.
- Practicing mindfulness can help students manage everyday stress and emotions.
- It can also help students be more in control of their feelings and actions.
Deliver classroom-based mindfulness education
Mindfulness lessons help students be aware of the connection between their minds and bodies. Lessons might include:
- Learning about stress, including how it affects the body.
- Learning ways to manage stress, develop self-control, and build healthy relationships.
- Practicing mindful breathing, meditation, and movement, such as yoga.
- Discussing how to practice mindfulness in everyday life.
Some mindfulness lessons may be in a longer format, like in health or wellness education classes. Others may be brief sessions throughout the school day. Students and staff could practice mindfulness during morning meetings or advisory periods, after recess, or before starting a regular class.
Summary of evidence
Dedicate time for students to independently practice mindfulness
Giving students time to practice mindfulness every day on their own can support their mental health and well-being. Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere and takes just a few minutes.
Summary of evidence
Offer small group mindfulness activities
Small group mindfulness activities enable students to learn more about mindfulness, and how to use it to cope with strong feelings or emotions. These groups are often led by a counselor. Small group mindfulness practice can help students:
- Understand their thoughts and feelings.
- Learn and practice skills for managing emotions in a positive way.
Summary of evidence
Focus on equity
- Explore mindfulness practice as a way to advance equity. Mindfulness activities can help teachers and students create a more inclusive classroom. For example, teachers and students can reflect on their assumptions and behaviors in ways that can help identify and reduce bias.
- Include students in the development of mindfulness activities. For example, ask students what visualization strategies they like best or let them lead mindfulness exercises throughout the year.
Implementation tips
To support the implementation of mindfulness strategies, leaders can:
- Train teachers and staff on the importance of mindfulness.
- Train teachers and staff on strategies for building mindfulness into the day.
- Offer mindfulness opportunities for staff and teachers.
For example, leaders could give staff a mindfulness minute every morning or offer mindfulness projects, including student-led projects, at the district level.
