You can imagine how stressful it is to be a student right now, dealing with school in itself and a pandemic on top of it. Some school districts are turning to a simple practice to help young people deal with stress: mindfulness.
The exercise of quiet breathing and focusing on the present moment, mindfulness is a way to become aware of one’s emotional state and usher in a sense of calm. It can be particularly helpful for young people as a means to boost attention skills and cope with stress, according to a 2019 report published by researchers at Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research.
In the Bay Area, Pittsburg Unified is among the districts that have brought in mindfulness experts to lead classroom exercises for students, as well as teachers.
Taking a few minutes every day to clear one’s head and think about nothing but the sound of one’s breathing can, over time, help reverse some harmful effects of chronic stress.
Jack Kulp and Carolyn McArdle talked about it on the air. Listen below...