Mindfulness involves focusing only on the present moment without being distracted by thoughts of the future or the past. Children tend to worry more about things as they grow and mature, so helping them practise mindfulness can give them a strategy for managing stress or channelling uncomfortable feelings in a healthy way. Read on for some advice on how you can go about exploring mindfulness with your child from an independent school in Wales.
Nature and the senses
Take a walk or go on a picnic somewhere quiet and ask your child to tell you what they can see, hear and feel. Encourage them to think only about their current surroundings and what their senses are telling them, and not about what they might be doing in the future or something that happened earlier in the day. You could then extend this to other everyday activities like cooking, eating or having a bath. Helping your child stay grounded in their senses, at least for a short time, is a good mindfulness strategy that they can use whenever they’re dealing with challenging emotions or just need some mental relaxation.
Practising gratitude
It’s important for children to be able to recognise the abundance in their life and practise gratitude for everything they have, rather than complaining about what they don’t have. When you gather as a family at dinner time, go round the table and ask each person to list three positive things that have happened that day that they’re thankful for. As well as helping children be mindful of their blessings, you may also find you have a lot more meaningful conversations as a result.
Identifying emotions
Being able to mindfully recognise their emotions will help your child process them more effectively. You could encourage them to explore different feelings and how they present physically; doing this not only helps them identify emotions but also detach from them slightly, which will help calm them down if they’re feeling agitated or angry about something.
Breathing exercises
Encourage your child to stop and take some deep breaths every now and then, especially if they’re experiencing some intense feelings. Prompt them to breath in and out slowly while focusing only on what they can feel in the present moment.
Incorporating regular mindfulness exercises into your child’s routine, and doing them with them, will make it a habit that reaps benefits for them both mentally and physically.
*This is a collaborative post