This is a Sponsored Post by Greater Good in Education Campaign, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
A little over a month ago, I had the opportunity to attend an event at my daughter’s school. It was the first time I really paid attention to the world “mindfulness.” The event was centered on finding peace and balance for our children, and ways that we can incorporate different activities into our home life. I must admit that up until attending that event, I was in the dark about practicing mindfulness at home.
According to the American Psychological Association, Mindfulness is defined as “n. awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings. The concept has been applied to various therapeutic interventions—for example, mindfulness-based cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and mindfulness meditation—to help people avoid destructive or automatic habits and responses by learning to observe their thoughts, emotions, and other present-moment experiences without judging or reacting to them (website).”
I also learned the importance of practicing mindfulness with our children at home to reinforce the lessons learned in the classroom. Daily activities can help them with their peace and balance on a daily basis!
Mindfulness is something that I try to practice on Sunday evenings when I’m prepping myself for a week in the classroom! I keep a planner filled with encouraging quotes, but I also take the time to write myself wishes for the week or simply for the day. It’s similar to writing yourself affirmations! This activity is something that can be used in a classroom with your students or for yourself as the teacher.
Sending Loving-Kindness Buddy Wishes
Materials: Paper and Writing Utensil
Time: 15-20 Minutes
Learning Objective: Practice extending positive wishes and kindness to themselves, a peer, and people in their community.
From my observation of practicing this exercise, I have had a chance to send myself positive thoughts! It’s so easy to say negative things to yourself, or talk yourself out of things. However, when you write positive wishes to yourself, you will start to think about these things instead of negative things.
I try to start my week off my prepping my planner for the week. Along with that practice, I include this mindfulness activity! However, this activity can be completed daily or weekly! At the start of a school day, to close a class or as a part of a mentoring-buddy program, this is a quick activity that can help anyone who is experiencing tension, anger or anxiety!
Goals for Mindfulness:
Increase Self-Awareness
Practice Empathy
Calm, Focus and Balance the Mind
Apply Mindfulness Skills to Everyday Life
The Greater Good in Education Program (GGIE) has created a team to provide free, research-based informed strategies and practices for the social, emotional, and ethical development of students, and for the well-being of the adults who work with them, and for cultivating positive school cultures.
“The mission of GGIE is to transform the way education professionals think about the purpose of education and what it means to be a human being—all to promote a kinder, more compassionate, and equitable world (website).”
