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A short, simple guided breathing practice you can squeeze in between meetings, before class, or anytime you need to reset. Great for busy schedules!

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Mindfulness for Busy Educators: How to Meditate Amid Distractions | Breathe For Change

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Download and print this calendar designed to build resilience and presencing skills. Each day offers a quick practice to try.

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The 'Calm' app offers specialized content for educators, including meditations, sleep stories, and mindful movement practices. Free premium access for teachers!

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Calm is the #1 app for sleep and meditation. Join the millions experiencing better sleep, lower stress, and less anxiety.

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The Benefits of Mindfulness for School Leaders

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The Benefits of Mindfulness for School Leaders

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Explore how practicing mindfulness supports leadership effectiveness, resilience, and decision-making for female and all educational leaders.

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Administration & Leadership

School leaders can benefit from mindfulness practices such as breaking ruminative loops in thinking in order to leave work at work.

I am in my fourth year as a school administrator, and while my job is very rewarding, it can also be quite stressful. I'm not alone in this feeling; in 2016, researchers compared the daily stress of teaching to that experienced by emergency room physicians. Earlier in my career, I would often look up at the end of the day knowing that I had been extremely busy, but not really knowing what I had done; like many of us, I was on autopilot.

I've always enjoyed what I do, yet at the same time, as the father of young kids, I did not want to bring the stressors of work home to my family. In 2021, when I had the opportunity to learn about and adopt a regular mindfulness practice-tuning in to the present moment, nonjudgmentally-everything changed.

Now, true to research findings on mindfulness in education, I can be present with students or teachers; increase my productivity; free up time in my day; and lower my perceived stress levels. And when I get home, I am able to put work aside to be present with my family.

Below, I expand upon these benefits of my own mindfulness practice and offer accessible strategies that other teachers and administrators can use to promote self-care throughout the school day.

Being Present with Students and Teachers

Maintaining a regular mindfulness practice means carving out small moments during my daily routine. For example, on my commute to and from work, I don't listen to anything; instead, I focus on my breath and surroundings. This helps me to be present when I show up to work and when I get home for the day and supplements a personal meditation practice (for me, 15-20 minutes of breathing meditation each morning).

Throughout the work day, I also look for cues to tune in to the present moment. Like most schools, we have bells. Every time the bell rings, I try to be mindful of where I am and what I am doing. If I am in my office, I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. If I am with students or in a meeting, I use the bells as a reminder to become fully present in whatever I am doing.

These two habits help me listen to understand instead of listen to respond, whether I am in a student conference or a staff meeting.

Increasing Efficiency During the School Day

As an administrator, there are many days when I do not get the luxury of eating lunch. And on days when I do eat lunch, I often spend that time simultaneously checking my email, reading an article, or scrolling through my phone.

To further weave mindfulness into my routine, I am trying to break this habit by treating lunchtime as a mini break in my day, a time to be mindful of what and how much I am eating. I also take mini breaks by walking around the school. This has two benefits: First, I am present in the halls during the lunch period, and teachers and students see me pass by their classrooms. Second, I use the short break to focus on my breath, how my feet feel as they hit the ground, and notice my surroundings.

The more I practice mindfulness, the more I notice when my mind is wandering or when I return to autopilot, and the easier it becomes to cue myself to practice. Every time I pull out my phone or start to open my email on my computer, for instance, I now use those opportunities to come back to the present moment before diving in.

Mindful breaks help keep me on task throughout the day and boost my ability to assess what I am doing with my time. This keeps my productivity high, which means tasks don't take as long as they used to, freeing up time in my day.

Lowering Perceived Stress Levels

I have a much greater ability to leave work at work because of my mindfulness practice. Rather than play a stressful meeting on a loop in my head, the mindful breaks that I take during the day leave me feeling significantly less stressed, interrupting potential rumination and centering my attention.

When I arrive at home, I no longer feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that still needs to be done to run a school effectively. There is plenty of research showing how poor we are at multitasking; being mindful of what I am doing allows me to focus on one task at a time, do it well before moving on, and complete it faster, freeing up space in my mind and on my calendar.

One of my favorite quotes about mindfulness, and one that you might share with colleagues or students, is from Thich Nhat Hahn, who said, "Today is the most important day of our lives." Each day is the only day that we are guaranteed, so we should be present during the day and take advantage of it.

Are you ready to join me on this mindfulness journey?

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School leaders can benefit from mindfulness practices such as breaking ruminative loops in thinking in order to leave work at work.

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Ten Ways Female Leaders Can Build Mindful Workplaces

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Ten Ways Female Leaders Can Build Mindful Workplaces

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This article highlights actionable strategies for women leaders to foster a supportive and mindful school culture.

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Mindfulness At Work - Creating Conditions for Staff Success - 10 Steps

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Research Snapshot: Mindfulness Interventions in Education

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Research Snapshot: Mindfulness Interventions in Education

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In-depth look at research findings on how mindfulness practices benefit educators and students alike.

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Ray W. Christner (Editor), Rosemary B. Mennuti (Editor)

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Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Educational Settings: A Handbook for Practice

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Amazon.com: Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Educational Settings: A Handbook for Practice: 9780415807401: Christner, Ray W., Mennuti, Rosemary B.: Books

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How to Prevent Burnout Through Mindfulness

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How to Prevent Burnout Through Mindfulness

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Practical tips and research-backed guidance for managing stress and preventing burnout in demanding educational roles.

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Sally Clarke (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Protect Your Spark: How to Prevent Burnout and Live Authentically

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Amazon.com: Protect Your Spark: How to Prevent Burnout and Live Authentically eBook : Clarke, Sally: Kindle Store

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Listen to female superintendents and principals share their mindfulness journeys and daily practices on this engaging education podcast.

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Self-Improvement Podcast · Hosts Dave and Erin are long time educators committed to using the power of mindful awareness in their lives and classrooms. Join us in creating a community of educators who are cultivating a positi…

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TED Talk: The Power of Mindful Leadership

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TED Talk: The Power of Mindful Leadership

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This TEDx Talk discusses mindfulness and positive impacts of intentional, mindful leadership.

Pandit Dasa, a former monk, discusses the power of mindful leadership (0:37). He shares his personal journey (0:50) from a privileged upbringing to losing everything, which led him to explore meditation and mindfulness (2:45). He emphasizes that stress and anxiety often stem from our minds and how we perceive situations (4:25).

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The Power of Mindful Leadership - Pandit Dasa @LEAD Presented by HR.com

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Short Video: Mindfulness for Teachers (Edutopia)

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Short Video: Mindfulness for Teachers (Edutopia)

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Watch classroom teachers demonstrate short, effective mindfulness strategies that you can start using immediately.

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4 Ways to Cultivate Mindfulness in the Classroom

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These simple exercises can bring more focus and calm to your school day—while helping students practice regulating their emotions.

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A practical guide with tools, case studies, and strategies specifically for education leaders. Empower your leadership journey with mindfulness.

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Mindful Educational Leadership [Kruse, Sharon D.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mindful Educational Leadership

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Inspiration, meditations, and strategies tailored to women's experiences from the highly acclaimed author Sue Patton Thoele. Valuable for women educators and leaders.

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Further Reading: Mindful Educator Toolkit

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Further Reading: Mindful Educator Toolkit

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Over 20 evidence-based mindfulness activities and resources curated for classroom and educational settings.

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How Amy Vetter, CPA takes time to pause…

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Amy Vetter on Instagram: "Mindful leadership starts with a pause. Breathe. Live. Lead. Repeat. 

#b3method #businessbalancebliss #liveb3 #b3leadership #mindfulbusiness #b3mindset #balancedleader #amyvetter  #purposefulwork #mindfulness"

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13 likes, 0 comments - amyvettercpa on August 8, 2025: "Mindful leadership starts with a pause. Breathe. Live. Lead. Repeat. 

#b3method #businessbalancebliss #liveb3 #b3leadership #mindfulbusiness #b3mindset #balancedleader #amyvetter  #purposefulwork #mindfulness". 

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View this post on Instagram

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image of a woman raising a bar with weights over her head. Image of a woman reading a book. Image of a woman in a yoga OM pose. 

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Start each day attending to physical, mental and spiritual wins.

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Post Image: Habits That Will Change Your Life

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Post Image: Habits That Will Change Your Life

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Mindfulness practices span beyond meditation.

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Sneaker Principal Network - Uche shares realistic information and background into sharing information and knowledge as well as addressing mindfulness.

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Mindfulness for School Leaders: A Journey to Wellness and Self-Care | Season 4 Episode 2

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Podcast Episode · The Sneaker Principal Podcast · 12/17/2024 · 21m

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A self-directed guide which includes the fundamentals of mindfulness. This short learning lesson includes 8 chapters on benefits, getting started, meditation, yoga, and journaling.

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The Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness Chapter 1: What is Mindfulness? A simple definition of mindfulness Mindfulness is a state of being, where you maintain nonjudgemental awareness in the present moment. Before moving on, let’s break that definition down a bit further. “Mindfulness is a state of being…” This means that mindfulness is not a specific activity. It’s a quality…

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Choose Your Path: Find a quiet space where you can walk undisturbed. It can be indoors or outdoors, wherever you feel comfortable.

Set Your Intention: Before you begin, take a moment to set the intention to be fully present during your walk. Let go of any distractions and focus on the experience itself.

Start with Awareness: Stand still for a moment. Feel the ground beneath your feet, and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.

Walk Slowly: Begin to walk at a slow pace. Pay attention to the sensation of each foot lifting and touching the ground.

Engage Your Senses: Notice the environment around you. Observe the colors, shapes, and textures, as well as the sounds and smells. Let these observations be part of your experience without judgment.

Anchor in the Present: If your mind starts to wander, gently bring your focus back to the sensation of walking. Feel the rhythm of your steps and your breath.

Reflect and Conclude: After a few minutes, pause and take a moment to reflect on the experience. Consider how being present has affected your state of mind.

This practice can be done for a short period or extended to fit your schedule, allowing you to integrate mindfulness into everyday life.

-Deepak Chopra

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Leadership Wellness: The Ecosystem Effect

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Leadership Wellness: The Ecosystem Effect

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An insightful piece from Next Gen Learning.

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Leadership Wellness: The Ecosystem Effect

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If school leaders stay healthy—physically, mentally, and emotionally—schools are stronger, more stable, and better equipped to serve students.

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What is happiness, and how can we all get some? Biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard says we can train our minds in habits of well-being, to generate a true sense of serenity and fulfillment.