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Bring Mindfulness into the lives of students through training yourself

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Bring Mindfulness into the lives of students through training yourself

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SMART for Educators (Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques)

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smartEducation (SMART) is an evidence-based program designed to address the needs of educators (K-12) and professional support staff. The program involves experiential activities in mindfulness including: secular meditation, emotional awareness, self-regulation, and movement. For details: http://education.ok.ubc.ca/research/smartineducation.html To register: http://www.mindfulnessstudies.com/event/15-403-03/?instance_id=2121

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http://www.mindfulnessstudies.com/pro-dev/educators/smart/
Emotional balance and well-being training for teachers.

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Taylor, C., Harrison, J., Haimovitz, K., Oberle, E., Thomson, K., Schonert-Reichl, K., & Roeser, R. W. (2016). Examining ways that a mindfulness-based intervention reduces stress in public school teachers: A mixed-methods study. Mindfulness, 7(1), 115-129.

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Taylor, C., Harrison, J., Haimovitz, K., Oberle, E., Thomson, K., Schonert-Reichl, K., & Roeser, R. W. (2016). Examining ways that a mindfulness-based intervention reduces stress in public school teachers: A mixed-methods study. Mindfulness, 7(1), 115-129.

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In a study conducted by Taylor et al (2015) it was found teachers were effectively able to connect with students and colleagues after a mindfulness program teaching key components such as self-compassion, body scans, mindful breathing, and mindful activity practice. These pro social dispositions of forgiveness and compassion led to closer ties with colleagues and students leading to the strengthening and repairing of relational connections. All together, the results reported better classroom culture and harmonious relationships with colleagues and students.

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Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., Bonus, K., & Davidson, R. J. (2013). Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout, and teaching efficacy. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(3), 182-195.

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Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., Bonus, K., & Davidson, R. J. (2013). Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout, and teaching efficacy. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(3), 182-195.

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Study results suggest that a mindfulness intervention, namely Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction adapted for educators increases the key components of mindfulness and self-compassion in teachers and reduces psychological symptoms which lead to burnout. Teachers reported and demonstrated increased self-monitoring, nonreactivity and sustained attention to student needs (p. 189).

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Mindfulness Training and Teacher Burn-out

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Mindfulness Training and Teacher Burn-out

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113 teachers (Canada and the US) randomly assigned to mindfulness training v.s waitlist control

Teachers completed assessments at baseline, post-mindfulness intervention, and at three months follow up

Teachers who completed the training had greater mindfulness, focused attention and working memory, occupational self-compassion, less occupational stress, less burnout

(Roeser et al, 2013)

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teachers and everyday

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Strategies For Coping with Stressors from  the Teacher-sphere

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Strategies For Coping with Stressors from  the Teacher-sphere

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Eat – we need to refuel! If you are under stress, be mindful of the fuels you choose. Keep a healthy snack near by to avoid feeling “hangry”

Sleep – aim for 7-9 hours of sleep a night (being rested helps you better deal with stresses of everyday life)

Drink – a lot of water, but consider avoiding caffeine (which can make you feel more anxious, and prevent sleep)

Move – exercise! It enhances for you immune system, reduces insomnia, and can serve as an anti-depressant (30 minutes of walking everyday)

Connect – make time to spend with family and friends (even just a phone call or email)

Pause – make time for yourself during the day, listen to music, take a few deep breaths, write in a journal, do some stretching – make time for activities that make you feel restored

Reflect – on what’s important to you personally and professionally – this allows you to intentionally and systematically make decisions in your life.

(School Mental Health - ASSIST, 2017)

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The Ontario government seeks to address the complexities of well-being and conceptualizes the concerns with the self at the centre. Moving outwards from there, the individual is supported by their activity (physical), mind (cognitive), relationships (social), and emotional (internalized and external systems) components of lived experience to understand, build awareness of, and seek and have access to support through the school system.

There is no mention of teachers but may be helpful to understand the needs of all players in the educational system, particularly those in close collaboration with students. Teachers may  be the first person a student may disclose to, and teachers too are in a unique position to see changes in the student's emotional or academic functioning. This unfortunately also puts teachers in a position of heightened stress stemming from complex student experience.

To make an impact on students and provide effective supports, we should also ensure teachers are well supported to address concerns arising from stress.
(Ontario Well-Being Strategy, 2016)

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- emotions - quick to anger or disregulated emotions, more difficult to empathize with others, feeling down and not finding joy in the everyday
- somatic/physical - tension in the body, headaches, or back aches
- behaviour - quick to be triggered by students, yelling or otherwise negative reactions to student behaviour
- cognitive - difficulty concentrating, making decisions and focusing

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There are lots of ways that mindfulness can form a part of your everyday life.

Mindfulness in everyday activities:  although the pressure we feel to multitask and always be doing something is one reason poses a serious challenge to our ability to do so, we can try to be present in our experiences. These experiences don't have to be only exciting things, but rather things you may do regularly but not engage with fully, such as taking a shower, cooking dinner, or drinking a cup of coffee. Next time you drink a cup of coffee, for example, take the time to savour the smell, the feel of the warm cup in your hands, the flavour as you take the first sip, and the feeling of warmth that you experience as the warm liquid travels down your body. The New York Times has developed a series of "How to be mindful when..." articles that provide some ideas and practical instructions. https://www.nytimes.com/column/meditation-for-real-life?action=click&contentCollection=Well&module=ExtendedByline&region=Header&pgtype=article

Body Scans and Physical Check-ins - One simple part of everyday mindfulness can be to engage in a quick body scan. Allow your mind to travel through your body and notice: is your jaw tense? Perhaps it's your back or neck that is tight instead. Are your toes and fingers relaxed? Often we are carrying unnecessary tension that we don't even realize! As we notice this tension, it may allow us to let go of it, and may also make us become aware that we have been worried or stressed about something we did not realize was bothering us.

Mindful Emotions: Many have the tendency to judge the emotions we experience throughout the course of a day: for example, when we feel hurt that we weren't invited to a social event, we might tell ourselves that feeling that way is silly. However, not only does this not take away the emotion we are experiencing, but it also may contribute to us suffering even more: according to Buddhist thinking, pain X resistance = suffering. As such, we can try to notice our emotions, whether they be pleasant or unpleasant, and, as we allow ourselves to experience them more fully, we may find they begin to lose their power over us. A simple way to remember this idea - name it to tame it!

Self-Compassion - related to being mindful of our emotions is the idea of practicing self-compassion. We can often be extremely self-critical, engaging in negative self-talk. It can therefore be helpful to practice a different sort of self-talk; to try, for example, to speak to ourselves as if we were speaking to a dear friend. We would be unlikely to tell a friend that he or she was not good enough, had not worked hard enough, or was a failure, but would instead likely try to be supportive, caring, and accepting towards him or her. Is it possible to talk to ourselves in a similar way? If this is something unfamiliar for you, try writing a compassionate letter to yourself as a patient and compassionate friend might. Developing more compassionate ways of self-talk, will contribute to higher levels of "self-kindness, common humanity, and mindful acceptance" (Leary, M. R., Adams, C. E., Allen, A. B., Hancock, J., 2007, p. 901). For an introduction into self-compassion, we recommend this School of Life video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kfUE41-JFw  As well, we recommend these lists of limiting and healthy beliefs. http://restoring-health.net/exploring-your-beliefs-exercise/ Most of us will identify with some of the limiting beliefs, which generally relate to the expectations, pressure, or guilt we often self-impose. For each limiting belief, there is a corresponding healthy belief. As an exercise of self-compassion, it would be beneficial to consider which limiting beliefs most resonate with us, and attempt to incorporate the corresponding healthy belief into our self-talk habits.

Gratitude: strongly connected to the practice of mindfulness is the practice of gratitude. Though gratitude is challenging to define, we might consider it as "the ability to notice, appreciate, and savour the elements of one's life" (Emmons & McCullough, 2003, p.378), as contrasted with the idea of ruminating and/or focusing on the aspects of our lives that please us less. Although this may not be our habit, it is something that can be developed. A gratitude journal is a good place to start: if this concept is a new one for you, we recommend this webpage which has some practical suggestions that can help get you started. https://tinybuddha.com/blog/turn-pain-to-joy-11-tips-for-a-powerful-gratitude-journal/ Even if you don't write down your thoughts, simply taking a few minutes at the beginning or end of each day, for example, could go a long way to foster a habit of gratitude.

Warning: it is important to be cognizant of the ways we are using technology: with the omnipresent nature of technology, it is easy to be connected to social media and email wherever we go! This poses a serious threat to mindfulness in that if we are engaged with our phones, we are less able to engage with the people who are around us, the things we are doing, and the way we feel. Think about how you feel if you leave your cell phone at home? This is something that makes many people anxious, and if you react similarly, it may be worthwhile to consider whether you are using technology in a healthy way or not.

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This is a practice in which individuals disconnect from other distractions and simply focus on your breathing. Avoid being judgemental of the thoughts that do come up. When you notice that your attention has drifted away from your breath,- try to gently bring your attention back to your breathing. As little as two minutes each day is beneficial, but when it comes to this practice, the more time you are able to spend, the better.

If mindful breathing is new to you, try headspace.com. It provides a free phone application gives you the opportunity to try out different strategies through their guided mindful breathing. The first ten sessions are free!

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Costa, A. L., & Kallinick, B. (2011). Describing 16 habits of mind. Retrieved from http://www.instituteforhabitsofmind.com

Emmons, R. A., McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389. Retrieved from https://journals-scholarsportal-info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/pdf/00223514/v84i0002/377_cbvbaeaswidl.xml

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation
in everyday life. New York: Hyperion.

Leary, M. R., Tate, E. B., Adams, C. E., Allen, A. B., Hancock, J., Leary, M. R., Hancock, J. (2007). Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: The implications of treating oneself kindly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(5), 887-904. Retrieved from https://journals-scholarsportal-info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/pdf/00223514/v92i0005/887_sartustiotok.xml

Roeser, R. B., Skinner, E., Beers, J., & Jennings, P. A. (2012). Mindfulness Training and Teachers’ Professional Development: An Emerging Area of Research and Practice. Child Development Perspectives. 6.2, p. 167-173. Retrieved from https://journals-scholarsportal-info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/pdf/17508592/v06i0002/167_mtatpdeaorap.xml

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Defined as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” - Kabat-Zinn, (1994).

Shown to promote healthy habits of mind, defined as "those dispositions toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems, the answers to which are not immediately known (Costa & Kalinick, 2011, p. 1, as cited in Roeser, Skinner, Beers, and Jennings, 2012, p. 169).

For teachers, the need for healthy habits of mind is clear: teachers constantly find themselves in high pressure, stressful situations when interacting with their students and / or colleagues. As such, practicing mindfulness has the potential to help teachers develop in their ability to deal when faced with challenging situations.

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Secure your own mask before helping others... 

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Secure your own mask before helping others... 

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We like this metaphor because we think it points to an important truth: as teachers, it is important to take care of ourselves in order to be an effective, happy, and balanced educator our students. As well, if we develop healthy habits that promote our mental health and well-being, we will be more able to model these habits for our students.

We have compiled some resources, tools, and ideas that will not only help teachers to develop their mental health and well-being, but also work to foster the same things in their students.