Over the last few months, we have all faced many changes to our routines, whether at home, work or school. Anxiety can increase during these stressful times, especially with children. Various MINDFULNESS and RESILIENCE programs are used by schools to teach children how to cope during these situations and the teachers within the International Division have been incorporating the YOU CAN DO IT program into our Personal Development and Health lessons.
What is MINDFULNESS?
https://www.smilingmind.com.au/mindfulness
Formal Mindfulness
Formal practice is mindfulness meditation where you sit, usually with the eyes closed, and focus attention on one thing, usually either your breathing or the sensations experienced within your body.
Informal Mindfulness
With informal practice you bring the same kind of improved attention that you might get from formal practice to everyday situations. This involves directing your full and non-judgemental attention to the activity you’re undertaking at a particular moment – it might be washing the dishes, brushing your teeth, chatting with a friend or studying.
The results of mindfulness in schools has shown that mindfulness programs are beneficial in many ways:
- Improvements in sleep quality,
- Improved concentration,
- Enhanced positive wellbeing
- Enhanced ability to manage and describe emotions
- as well as significant reductions in distress and tension.
- improvements in their sleep and
- reductions in the experience of bullying and classroom disruptions.
- improvements in concentration
What is RESILIENCE?
https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/healthy-homes/building-resilience
Resilience is shown with how students cope with a challenging event or hardship they are facing. Learning and building up resilience strategies helps school-aged children to better cope during these situations.
Resilience lessons develop essential skills, habits and attitudes by focusing on:
- building good relationships with others including adults and peers
- building independence
- learning to identify, express and manage emotions
- building confidence by taking on personal challenges
We are encouraging students to share with their family and friends these simple mindfulness and resilience techniques which they are learning in their Personal Development and Health lessons.
Mr Simon van Dinter
Deputy Principal (International Division)
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