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ISTE Students as Agents of Change in Mental Health

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ISTE Students as Agents of Change in Mental Health

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https://bit.ly/ISTESDG3

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Students as Agents of Change in Mental Health ISTE

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Student response

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Yoga Breathing | Alternate Nostril Breathing

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1. Patterns of Stress & Resilience: Neurosequential Network Stress & Trauma Series

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For kids who face trauma, good neighbors or teachers can save their longterm health

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For kids who face trauma, good neighbors or teachers can save their longterm health

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New research shows just how important positive childhood experiences are for our long-term health -- especially for those who experience significant adversity as a child.

Studies over the past 20 years have found a correlation between the number of adverse childhood events (such as death or divorce) and worse health outcomes later in life. A new study from professor Ali Crandall and other Brigham Young University coauthors discovered that positive childhood experiences -- like having good neighbors, regular meals or a caregiver you feel safe with -- have the potential to negate harmful health effects caused by adverse childhood experiences.

"If your child has experienced trauma and you're worried about the long-term impact it could have on them, these findings show that the positive experiences in childhood lead to better adult physical and mental health, no matter what they have faced," said Crandall, assistant professor of public health at BYU.

Specifically, the study found that even when an individual had four or more adverse childhood experiences (called ACEs), having a high number of advantageous childhood experiences (Counter-ACEs) lessened the negative effect of ACEs on adult health. This is significant because the landmark 1998 ACEs study concluded that having four or more ACEs in childhood greatly increases negative health outcomes, including higher BMI, smoking rates, depression and chronic health conditions.

BYU study participants reported the number of ACEs and Counter-ACEs they experienced in childhood. ACEs include abuse, abandonment, having a family member in jail, alcoholism, mental illness, addiction, divorce or death. The full list of Counter-ACEs includes having good friends and neighbors, beliefs that provide comfort, liking school, teachers who care, having a caregiver whom you feel safe with, opportunities to have fun, feeling comfortable with yourself and a predictable home routine like regular meals and bedtimes.

Accoring to the study findings, published recently in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect, nearly 75 percent of participants had at least one adverse childhood experience, while the average amount of ACEs was 2.67 per person. The average positive experience score was 8.15, with 39 percent of people having experienced all 10 of those Counter-ACEs.

Participants also reported their current health through a variety of physical measures -- like BMI, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical exercise, sleep difficulties and if they smoked daily -- as well as their cognitive and mental health through executive functioning abilities, perceived stress, depression, internal locus of control, gratitude, forgiveness of self and challenging situations and familial closeness. Interestingly, researchers also found that the absence of Counter-ACEs led to poor adult health regardless of the number of ACEs.

"As bad as ACEs may be, the absence of these positive childhood experiences and relationships may actually be more detrimental to lifelong health so we need more focus on increasing the positive," Crandall said.

While many of the adverse childhood experiences in this study are affected by a child's family situation, Crandall said that "other adults in a child's life that are not the parent, like extended family, teachers, neighbors, friends and youth leaders all help to increase the number of counter ACEs and boosts lifelong health."

Crandall believes that increasing counter-ACES in the home is the easiest place to start and is working to educate the community about how to do this in conjunction with United Way. BYU professors Brianna Magnusson, Len Novilla, Carl Hanson and Michael Barnes were coauthors on the study.

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mental health research; children's health; chronic illness; public health education; mental health; child psychology; educational psychology; depression

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For kids who face trauma, good neighbors or teachers can save their longterm health

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New research shows just how important positive childhood experiences are for long-term health, especially for those who experience significant adversity as a child. Studies over the past 20 years have found a correlation between adverse childhood events (such as death or divorce) and worse health outcomes later in life.

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Breathing with HEAL and a Hoberman Sphere

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Students will investigate the brain and learn ways to better support brain health. Created by NJTV in partnership with the NJEA and the NJ Department of Education, NJTV Learning Live remote learning classes are for grades 3-6, taught by NJ public school teachers. One-hour lessons include math, science, English language arts, social studies, physical education and more.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

NJTV Learning Live

NJTV Learning Live is a unique on-air instructional series to help kids learn remotely. Created by NJTV in partnership with the NJEA and the NJ Department of Education, hour-long classes for grades 3-6 are taught by NJ public school teachers. Lessons include math, science, English language arts, social studies, phys. ed. and more. Hosted by 2020 State Teacher of the Year Kimberly Dickstein Hughes.

WATCH ANYWHERE

Your favorite local NJTV programs are available to watch on-demand on many popular entertainment devices.

DOWNLOAD APPS

STREAM TO YOUR TV

©2020 PUBLIC MEDIA NJ, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PO Box 5776, Englewood, NJ 07631

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Brain Scientists- Dr. Rebecca McLelland-Crawley -Third Grade | NJTV Learning Live

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Students will investigate the brain and learn ways to better support brain health. Created by NJTV in partnership with the NJEA and the NJ Department of Education, NJTV Learning Live remote learning classes are for grades 3-6, taught by NJ public school teachers. One-hour lessons include math, science, English language arts, social studies, physical education and more.

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Using EFT to Calm Kids & Help Them Process Emotions

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Using EFT to Calm Kids & Help Them Process Emotions

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Parents often ask me how they can de-stress and stay calm with their kids. They also ask about techniques to teach children, that the child can use to calm herself when she's upset.

There's a lot of research showing that breathing deeply is highly effective to calm the body and shift the emotional state. Most people find that it's helpful to add mantras, which are just phrases that serve as an antidote to a thought or belief that doesn't serve you.

I would also recommend a very simple technique that anchors the breathing and speaks to the subconscious, called the Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT.

What is it? EFT uses the energy meridians from traditional acupressure, combined with breathing and a mantra. You simply tap the acupressure points with your fingertips while you breath deeply and give your subconscious a verbal message. Over time, the tapping becomes associated with the feeling of calm from the conscious breathing, and it helps trigger the shift to a more relaxed state. So EFT becomes more effective in calming yourself the more often you use it, like any other mindfulness practice.

There has been research showing that EFT is effective in calming the nervous system, and that tapping the acupressure points is an essential part of EFT. (See citations below article.) Some researchers claim there are flaws in these studies, and that even the presence of the energy meridians well-accepted in traditional Chinese medicine cannot be substantiated. While there is more research necessary to validate using EFT as a clinical treatment, many researchers agree that it "has met APA standards as an efficacious treatment for a number of conditions, including anxiety, depression, phobias, and PTSD." (Feinstein, 2012).

Speaking from experience, I have successfully used "tapping" and have had positive feedback from many clients who have used it and taught it to their children. There are no side effects. It is completely free -- you never need to spend a penny to learn how to do it. It couldn't be simpler, and takes almost no time. So there is no downside. If you're curious, give it a trial and see if it works for you. If not, no loss.

You can use EFT to calm yourself and release negative emotions, simply by tapping the acupressure points listed below as you breathe deeply, and noticing any physical sensations or shifts. You may find yourself yawning, which is one of the ways your body releases emotions.

You can use EFT to make affirmations more effective:
"I am more than enough."
"Every day I am more patient/grateful/happier."

Because the subconscious is so linked to the body, EFT can even be used to "reprogram" your subconscious; you simply acknowledge what you're feeling and invite the possibility that something else could be true also:
"Even though I'm feeling anxious about ______, I know I can handle whatever happens."
"Even though I'm feeling sad right now, I deeply love, accept and forgive myself."

Once you see how effective EFT is in managing your moods, you'll probably want to try it with your child. It's a quick and effective way to calm kids when they're upset, help them release stuck emotions or trauma, and help them relax to fall asleep at night. You can even use it to help them reframe things more positively, for instance, "Even though I'm feeling scared, I know that I am safe."

You can tap on your child directly. (You might want to demonstrate first on yourself, or on a teddy bear.) Or you can teach them to tap on themselves.

Don't be surprised if you find yourself yawning. That's an indication that your body is releasing stress. And don't feel that you have to go through all these points every time you tap. Many people just use the "karate chop" point.

Here's how tapping works:

Firmly but gently tap either side of the body as outlined below, using the fingertips of either hand. Tap long enough so that you can take three complete breaths in and out. You can also simply massage these points. As you tap, breathe deeply. You can use words as described above.

1. Karate Chop area - outside edge of hand, below little finger)

2. Eyebrow - (either eyebrow, tap on end near bridge of nose)

3. Under the Eye (about 1' below either eye, on bone)

4. Under the Nose (above upper lip)

5. Chin (below lower lip, crease where chin starts)

6. Beginning of Collar Bone (inside end of either CB, on end below the throat)

7. Four inches under Armpit (side on rib cage)

8. Side of Little Finger (side near ring finger, at base of nail)

9. Inside of wrist (pulse point area) - Where many people fasten their watch band.

12. Crown of Head (Resting open hand, palm down on crown)

13. Tender Spot, Left Side of Chest - Locate a tender, or sensitive spot on left side of chest. For most of us it is beneath the collarbone and above the breast area on the left side. Find the spot on yourself by pressing, using one or two fingers, around this area until you find a spot that is more tender, or sensitive than the area around it. Rub that spot in a small circle.

Don't worry about being exact. Tapping the general area will get the job done. And don't worry about doing all the points, or about following a specific order. Just tapping the "karate chop point" is often enough to help lessen anxiety.

Practitioners say to remove glasses, watch or bracelets before beginning because they can electromagnetically obstructive.

REFERENCES

"Tapping Away Trauma: 'Emotional Freedom' Technique" by Serina Deen, M.D., MPH http://www.huffingtonpost.com/serina-deen-md-mph/eft_b_1536431.html

Church, Dawson (2013). Clinical EFT as an Evidence-Based Practice for the Treatment of Psychological and Physiological Conditions. Psychology 4, No.8, 645-654. http://file.scirp.org/pdf/PSYCH_2013081215123494.pdf

Church D, Books A. (2010). Application of Emotional Freedom Techniques. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal, Aug/Sep, 46-48.

Feinstein, D. (2010). Rapid Treatment of PTSD: Why Psychological Exposure with Acupoint Tapping May Be Effective. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 47(3), 385-402.

Feinstein, D. (2012). Acupoint stimulation in treating psychological disorders: Evidence of efficacy. Review of General Psychology, 16, 364-380.

Waite W, Holder M. (2003). Assessment of the Emotional Freedom Technique: An Alternative Treatment for Fear. The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice (2) 1.

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Parents often ask me how they can de-stress and stay calm with their kids. They also ask about techniques to teach children, that the child can use to calm herself when she's upset. There's a lot of research showing that breathing deeply is highly effective to calm the body and shift the emotional state.

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October 2020 | Volume 78 | Number 2
Trauma-Sensitive Schools Pages 76-77

Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

How educators respond to children's fears now will influence the long-term effects.

At family gatherings, young adults often tell stories about events from their childhood. If you were an adult during the childhood of a family member now in their 20's, it can be surprising to hear what is memorable for that person and how they perceived events. Your recollection might be very different from what stood out for young adults you know in their earliest years.

We recently talked with friends with young children about how their kids might process the COVID-19 pandemic decades from now. What will their memories be about fear, masks, and the loss of loved ones?

Trauma That's Nearly Universal

Much is known about the deleterious effects of trauma on the learning lives of children and youth. The adverse childhood experience scale is a well-known instrument for assessing students placed at risk because of acute or chronic traumatic events, such as being the victim of abuse, witnessing domestic abuse in the home, and losing a caregiver. These events are specific to an individual. But educators must now speculate about the universal trauma of a pandemic, which has touched the lives of every person on the planet.

The long-term effects of this crisis won't be known for years. However, educators have students in front of us now who may be experiencing pandemic-induced trauma. We believe that to some extent, the stories these young people tell as adults about living through the COVID-19 pandemic will be influenced by how we respond now.

The video portion of this column is divided into two parts and shows two teachers working with their students to proactively address the trauma of the pandemic. The first video portrays a teacher using the approach of acknowledging fear and reframing kids' concerns in honest ways. The second shows a high school teacher modeling how to manage anxiety through calming activities.

Acknowledging and Reframing Fears

Children rely on adults as a barometer to measure their responses to events. A caregiver who is frightened of dogs and reacts with fear upon the sight of them signals to the young child present that she should be afraid of dogs, too. Children learn how to regulate their emotions by watching how others, especially those they trust, behave. Teachers are caregivers, too. Our emotions telegraph to students how they should feel. For example, a teacher who regularly shies away from mathematics ("I'm not a math person") alerts some students to the possibility that they aren't "math people" either.

A fear of dogs or math may be irrational. But there is much to be legitimately fearful of when it comes to a health pandemic. Our students have been exposed to unknown doses of frightening news stories and social media posts; they have been exposed to family discussions about the economic, physical, and psychological toll of the pandemic. Educators have been subjected to such thorny discussions, too, and we don't have the answers to all students' questions, as much as we would like to. But our classrooms, whether face-to-face or at a distance, should be a safe space for children to ask questions and express their fears.

Daily emotional check-ins are essential right now and need to be at the forefront of our teaching practices. When students can count on a time each day when they can talk about their feelings, it allows them to bracket their emotions. It gives them a rest from simmering anxieties. Daily emotional check-ins should include acknowledgement of your feelings, too. Don't unburden yourself on your students-that isn't healthy for you or them. But take these opportunities to reframe their experiences and yours. During a discussion about physical distancing, a teacher of young children might say, "I miss being able to go to a friend's house to visit. Right now, we don't do that because we care for each other, and I want my friend to be safe. I'm glad I get to talk to her on the phone every day."

A teacher of older students might say, "You have many people in your lives, including me, who care about you, your safety, and your feelings. There's a difference between being careful and being afraid. I want you to be careful. But if you're feeling afraid, please talk with me about how you're feeling."

PreK educator Joe Marsella teaches 3- and 4-year-olds (with and without disabilities) at Dingeman Elementary in San Diego. He understands that wearing a face mask can be a fear-inducing prospect for some children, so he wants to acknowledge and normalize the experience. In the first part of the video, Mr. Marsella introduces a puppet who explains why she is wearing a mask. He introduced this mask-wearing puppet, Mrs. Bixby, when he converted to distance learning with his students last spring, and he's planning to continue to use the puppet to reassure his preschoolers this school year.

Model Calming Activities

Students enter virtual and physical classrooms with thoughts about things other than what they'll be learning. Those experiencing anxiety and distress are especially vulnerable to intrusive thoughts. It's safe to assume that most students are currently experiencing anxiety or interfering thoughts; to combat this psychic noise, we can teach techniques that center their attention.

Depending on students' age level, these routines might involve consideration of things to be grateful for (making gratitude lists) or beginning the class with an insightful, positive quote accompanied by a deep breathing exercise. Another technique is to teach students how to do a mental body scan, a visualization technique sometimes used to notice and release any tensions a person feels by focusing attention on each part of the body. In the second part of the accompanying video, Health Sciences High School English teacher Elleisha Elzien guides her students in this technique at the beginning of a virtual class meeting to help them mentally set aside worries-or reduce the size of any worries.

As many others who have led people in a calming technique like this can testify, the benefit goes both ways. Teachers relax at the same time as their students.

Ready for This

There's no way to predict with certainty what our students will recall and retell, 20 years from now, about these months when the pandemic is rearranging our lives. But we're confident that their teachers will figure into some of those stories. Students look to us for guidance about academic content, but also about dealing with life's challenges. This is a big one, to be sure. But we're up to the challenge.

Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey are professors in the Department of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and teacher leaders at Health Sciences High and Middle College. They are ASCD authors, most recently of All Learning Is Social and Emotional (ASCD, 2019), and their work inspired ASCD's FIT Teaching® program.

KEYWORDS

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Helping Students Cope with the Pandemic - Educational Leadership

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October 2020 | Volume 78 | Number 2 Trauma-Sensitive Schools Pages 76-77 Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey How educators respond to children's fears now will influence the long-term effects. At family gatherings, young adults often tell stories about events from their childhood.

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L2S Helping students be their best SELf 

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Intersection of social-emotional learning & equity vital

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Intersection of social-emotional learning & equity vital

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Dena Simmons is the Assistant Director at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She is a university scholar-practitioner, TED speaker, and educator on social-emotional learning, equity, and culturally responsive practices. She sat down with LEE staff to discuss in-depth the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) & equity in school systems. Follow Dena Simmons on Twitter (@denasimmons) & Instagram (@denasimmons). Sign up for her newsletter today!
First, how are you doing? How are you practicing self care right now?

Thank you so much for asking. I am doing well for the most part. For one, I feel grateful to have a home, a job, and food to eat during this uncertain, trying, and stressful moment when unemployment is so high. I have been actively focusing on my self care because, for me, it is a revolutionary act in a world that does not distribute care or the privilege to live equally. It is so easy to get overwhelmed and enraged by the news of the health disparities related to COVID-19, the unnecessary death of George Floyd, the obsessive policing of Black people, and all of the resulting pain and suffering in the Black community.

Some ways that I am taking care of myself is by staying connected virtually with friends and family, exercising, and helping educators by posting almost daily #quaranteaching tips on my Twitter (@denasimmons) and then putting them in my stories on Instagram (@denasimmons). When I am not too anxious about whether I washed my hands after touching my mailbox or the railing in my building or whatever else, I work on my upcoming book, White Rules for Black People.

What does your work with educators, schools & school systems look like?

I work with teachers all over the nation and world to use the power of emotional intelligence to create a more just and compassionate society. I train educators, do research, and learn with school systems on how to teach, learn, and work at the intersection of SEL, equity, and culturally responsive practice so that all students have the safety to learn in the comfort of their own skin.

Tell us more about the intersection of SEL & equity.

It is important that whatever we do in education causes no harm. This is true for SEL, which refers to life skills that support people in experiencing, managing, and expressing emotions meaningfully, making sound decisions, and fostering rewarding interpersonal relationships. Too often, however, SEL is implemented out of context, and without an anti-racist and equity lens, I fear that SEL could become white supremacy with a hug. Additionally, the narrative of SEL could be problematic. As I have traveled and worked with schools nationally, I have heard SEL repeatedly discussed as an opportunity for compliance for kids of color or used to show how children of color are deficient in something else. For white youth and privileged students, SEL is about college and career readiness. Teachers can read more here about applying an equity lens to social, emotional, and academic development in a piece I co-authored and here where I talk about how we can change the problematic narrative and students of color.

What recommendations do you have for school systems wanting to move towards enhancing social & emotional learning and equity in this digital learning environment?

Create opportunities for SEL development, healing, and self-care for the entire school community by infusing SEL skills into everyday interactions and academic instruction with students online. So, consider how you might lead a community circle virtually or how you create a safe and brave space for students to talk about what they're experiencing and to heal. Two of the #quaranteaching tips I created and shared on my Twitter account that can be used are: 1) inviting students to write a letter to their future selves two years from now where they document how they are feeling about this moment and what they aspire and hope to do so that they can see their resilience, emotions, and dreams in the future and 2) asking students to play the role of an advice columnist where they are helping a classmate cope with some anxiety and fear about the pandemic.

Allow students and families to opt-out of activities. Some students and families are tired and suffering in ways we will never know. We should be flexible and understand that people know what they need while still maintaining high expectations.

Allow for varied methods for students to demonstrate understanding based on what is accessible to them.

Be careful that you are not assessing privilege at this time. Not all students have access to a quiet place to work, internet, food, support, safety, and technology needed to participate in virtual learning.

Create project-based learning opportunities that are culturally relevant, student centered, and allow for civic engagement, for families to be involved, and that rely on resources already disposable to students and families.

As families take a larger role in their children's digital learning, what opportunities do school systems have to include parents in their social & emotional learning in equitable ways?

Our work with families is even more important now that we are relying on them to be partners in educating our young people. I talk a little about that in my ASCD article called "Why COVID-19 is Our Equity Check." School systems must support families in supporting the young people in their families either by making material more accessible, providing resources and information with families like blogs or sites that explain the content students are learning, and sharing the SEL practices that students are using in class that could be reinforced at home. While I am a proponent of SEL, it is important that it is not devoid context and that it has an equity and anti-racist lens so that it does not create inadvertent harm. I wrote about that in an article called, "Why We Cannot Afford Whitewashed SEL" and spoke about it in an interview with EdSurge and on stage at the inaugural SEL Exchange conference.

We know that when students return to school, educators will find themselves faced with students who have experienced trauma as a result of the pandemic for a whole host of reasons. How can educators & school system leaders tap into social-emotional learning practices & trauma-informed strategies to address students' diverse needs?

Everyone has and will face some level of trauma because of this pandemic either through their own suffering or through watching the suffering of others. As educators return to schools, it is important that they are taking care of themselves. There is a famous saying that "hurt people hurt people," and if our teachers are not well or are stressed and burnt out, they have very little to offer to their school community. We know from research that teachers who are stressed and burnt out have less warm interactions with the students and that classroom management and academic achievement suffer. As a result, stressed teachers lead to worse outcomes for students, which is why I always say that teacher stress is an equity issue. After teachers have focused on caring for themselves and healing, they have to create the space and time for student and community healing as well--something I talked about on a panel with Discovery Education. Children cannot learn if they are emotionally hijacked; so, concerted effort is necessary for supporting them with their healing and making sense of the pandemic.

Additionally, the pandemic has not only revealed, but also heightened deep-seated inequity in our education systems. That said, we need more than practices to alleviate the trauma many students of color and other youth at the margins were experiencing. We need a new system--one that values equity, liberation, and anti-bias practices, one that has healing, SEL, culturally responsive practices, social justice, and civic engagement at the core, so that schools do not traumatize our young people inadvertently.
Get personalized guidance for your leadership journey!
Leadership for Educational Equity staff is devoted to supporting members as they grow and implement their visions for equity. No question is too large or too small. You can always reach out to your LEE contact to get started.

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Intersection of social-emotional learning & equity vital, says LEE member Dena Simmons

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Dena Simmons is the Assistant Director at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence . She is a university scholar-practitioner, TED speaker, and educator on social-emotional learning, equity, and culturally responsive practices. She sat down with LEE staff to discuss in-depth the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) & equity in school systems. Follow Dena Simmons on Twitter (@denasimmons ) & Instagram (@denasimmons ).

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Why We Can't Afford Whitewashed Social-Emotional Learning

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Why We Can't Afford Whitewashed Social-Emotional Learning

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This collection is part of KET's initiative on youth mental health and includes videos from the KET series, You Are Not Alone, which explores answers to depression, anxiety, toxic stress, and suicide through the lens of experts, educators, parents, and youth; video of focus groups of youth, parents/caregivers/mentors, and educators discussing youth mental health issues; a workshop by Operation Parent on what adults need to know about teens and social media; and video featuring personal experiences from youth and young adults on their experiences with mental illness and mental health issues.

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Elisha Goldstein on how creating space in the day to come down from a worried mind can mitigate the negative effects of our stress response.

Two-thirds of Americans say they need help for stress. But stress itself is not the problem. It's how we relate to stress. The stress response is critical to our survival. It can save our lives or enable a firefighter to carry a 300-pound man down 20 flights of stairs. Of course, most of us don't encounter a life-or-death threat all that often. We usually experience stress reactions in response to thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations. If we're actively worried about whether we can put food on the table or get the perfect exam score, presto: the stress reaction activates. And if the bodily systems involved in stress don't slow down and normalize, the effects can be severe. Over time, we can succumb to, among other things, high blood pressure, muscle tension, anxiety, insomnia, gastrodigestive complaints, and a suppressed immune system.

Creating space in the day to stop, come down from the worried mind, and get back into the present moment has been shown to be enormously helpful in mitigating the negative effects of our stress response. When we drop into the present, we're more likely to gain perspective and see that we have the power to regulate our response to pressure.

Here's a short practice you can weave into your day to step into that space between stimulus and response.

Stop what you're doing; put things down for a minute.

Take a few deep breaths. If you'd like to extend this, you can take a minute to breathe normally and naturally and follow your breath coming in and out of your nose. You can even say to yourself "in" as you're breathing in and "out" as you're breathing out if that helps with concentration.

Observe your experience just as it is-including thoughts, feelings, and emotions. You can reflect about what is on your mind and also notice that thoughts are not facts, and they are not permanent. Notice any emotions present and how they're being expressed in the body. Research shows that just naming your emotions can turn the volume down on the fear circuit in the brain and have a calming effect. Then notice your body. Are you standing or sitting? How is your posture? Any aches or pains?

Proceed with something that will support you in the moment: talk to a friend, rub your shoulders, have a cup of tea.

Treat this whole exercise as an experiment: Get curious about where there are opportunities in the day for you to just STOP-waking up in the morning, taking a shower, before eating a meal, at a stop light, before sitting down at work and checking email.

You can even use your smartphone's message indicator as a reminder to STOP, cultivating more mindfulness with technology.

What would it be like in the days, weeks, and months ahead if you started stopping more often?

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Elisha Goldstein on how creating space in the day to come down from a worried mind can mitigate the negative effects of our stress response. Two-thirds of Americans say they need help for stress. But stress itself is not the problem. It's how we relate to stress.

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Headspace is meditation made simple. It's a great way to give your mind a moment to pause. The practice of meditation has been around for thousands of years, and has been shown to reduce stress, foster compassion and increase overall happiness.

Headspace is proud to support Pure Edge and K-12 educators through a free one-year subscription!

Headspace has been downloaded more than 45 million times. Through short, easy-to-follow meditations, you'll learn breathing, visualization, and focus-based exercises that are designed to help you live a healthier, happier life. There are meditations for stress, sports, sleep, focus and creativity.

Train your mind for a healthier, happier life

A personal meditation teacher, right in your pocket

Learn whenever you want, wherever you are, in just minutes a day. It only takes a few minutes to change the rest of your day.

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Headspace is meditation made simple. It's a great way to give your mind a moment to pause. The practice of meditation has been around for thousands of years, and has been shown to reduce stress, foster compassion and increase overall happiness. Headspace is proud to support Pure Edge and K-12 educators through a free one-year subscription!

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Helping students be their best SELf  - PTSA

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How to start a movement.

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First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy

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By Maurice J. Elias and Larry Leverett
Even as we confront the treacherous coronavirus pandemic with a large-scale effort to treat, mitigate and protect our people, leaders are starting to turn their attention to reopening America's industries, municipalities, and civic society. Governors like Phil Murphy, Andrew Cuomo and Gavin Newsome are speaking about an 18-month plan. Educators, who deserve commendation for the rapid response to organizing online learning to create some continuity for learners, similarly need an 18-month plan. The social and emotional wellness of adults and students must be embraced as an important component of pandemic recovery.

We know from studies, like "Children of Katrina," that children exposed to natural disasters and their aftermath are much more likely to suffer emotional disturbances than other kids, even years later. And we know which children fare worse than others: poor children, Black and Brown children and learners with special needs.

The virus preys on those who have underlying conditions and are weakened by social neglect that allows our society to push too many people to the margins, with inadequate social and financial capital and few opportunities to improve their lives. Systemic disparities in health, housing, employment, education, wages, nutrition fuel the racial disparities that have resulted in decreased access and opportunity to resources needed to either prevent or treat the "infamous" underlying conditions.

While most of us have had our "worlds" turned upside-down by the health, economic and social realities of living through the COVID-19 pandemic, poor children and children of color have disproportionately had many of their loved ones die. Every day, they see relatives leave the house and expose themselves to a potentially lethal virus that they then bring back home. They have heard family members worry about food, rent, heat, electricity and how to get health care when it's needed.

This once-in-a-lifetime health challenge will have a life-long impact on the social and emotional wellness of our children and youth. Schools must recognize this. Our children cannot go back to business as usual. Schools must devote the first two to three weeks to welcoming and healing. The social-emotional wellbeing of students and staff should be the focus. Everyone has had losses -- time, last year's classmates and teachers, opportunities, loved ones - and these must be acknowledged and grieved.

The inequities that have been in plain sight but now are too illuminated to ignore must be kept in view. Awareness of differences and the requirement to be inclusive and to treat all children with dignity, respect, consideration and support should be built into these initial weeks and become part of the everyday norms for every day of every school year.

The pandemic has illuminated the historical disparities for children of color, children of poverty and children with special needs. These children and all children must learn skills of leadership, social action, and civic participation. All students must be helped to identify their sense of positive purpose, which we know from research is a powerful motivator for learning. The stories of those who have been disadvantaged must become part of the curriculum if all students and staff are to be liberated from the grip of prejudice and oppression.

It is frequently said that "out of crisis comes opportunity." We have the opportunity for schools and communities to engage together to address existing inequities and to build community-wide resources to help students resolve the traumatic impacts of the pandemic on their academic and social development.

There are roles for everyone, including parents, schools, community-based organizations, state agencies, higher education, churches, private sector, non -profits, community-based mental health services, advocacy organizations and others to engage with each other to create locally developed solutions that embrace the necessity to attend to this trauma.
Maurice J. Elias is a professor of psychology at Rutgers and directs the Larry Leverett is a retired educator who was an assistant commissioner of education in NJ and superintendent of Plainfield Public Schools. Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab. He's also the author of "The Joys and Oys of Parenting," and "The Other Side of the Report Card: Assessing Students' Social, Emotional, and Character Development"
We must adopt a long-term view on supporting the social-emotional wellness of the learners and all the adults engaged in the public education enterprise. And we must keep a sustained focus on what the pandemic has made clear to all of us about the price of social inequities.

The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com's newsletters.

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When schools reopen, their doors must open equally to all

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By Maurice J. Elias and Larry Leverett Even as we confront the treacherous coronavirus pandemic with a large-scale effort to treat, mitigate and protect our people, leaders are starting to turn their attention to reopening America's industries, municipalities, and civic society. Governors like Phil Murphy, Andrew Cuomo and Gavin Newsome are speaking about an 18-month plan.

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https://bit.ly/studentSEL

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NJAGC Mindfulness for Stressed Students and Teachers

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Focus on the SELf: Self-Awareness and Self-Management for Educator Wellbeing

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Focus on the SELf: Self-Awareness and Self-Management for Educator Wellbeing

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http://bit.ly/SELteachers

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"Just Breathe" by Julie Bayer Salzman & Josh Salzman (Wavecrest Films)

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Unspeakables Instructions

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Mindfulness for Stressed Students and Teachers

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Principals, administrators, SEL team members, staff members, and other adults can use this tool to assess personal strengths, think about how to model those strengths when interacting with others, and plan strategies to promote growth across areas of social competence.

Download Resource Purchase A Printed Copy

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Principals, administrators, SEL team members, staff members, and other adults can use this tool to assess personal strengths, think about how to model those strengths when interacting with others, and plan strategies to promote growth across areas of social competence. Download Resource Purchase A Printed Copy

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An Original Educational Series by Belouga & NüYü

Life can be pretty stressful sometimes. We all deal with daily obstacles, the important part though is how we overcome these obstacles. Mindfulness is a key strategy in dealing with daily obstacles and stress, and with a bit of practice, it can make a real difference in our individual lives and communities. Come see how the students of NuYu are helping people within their own community deal with stress and become mindfulness masters!

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Belouga | Learn about the world, with the world!

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Life can be pretty stressful sometimes. We all deal with daily obstacles, the important part though is how we overcome these obstacles. Mindfulness is a key strategy in dealing with daily obstacles and stress, and with a bit of practice, it can make a real difference in our individual lives and communities.

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Find resources to help students manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions—creating the healthiest school culture possible.

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How SEL and Mindfulness Can Work Together

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How SEL and Mindfulness Can Work Together

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If you're an educator interested in developing students' social and emotional well-being, it can be hard to know where to start. Which social-emotional learning (SEL) program should you choose? Or would it be better to focus on mindfulness? Perhaps you've heard great things about both, and, in the end, don't they just do the same thing?

© Remains

The confusion is especially understandable given that research in both fields suggests some similar outcomes for students: increased academic achievement and well-being, less risky behavior, and better relationships with peers and teachers.

SEL and mindfulness, in fact, are two separate areas-that work great when taught and learned together. Thus, choosing one over the other may not actually be the best choice.

One of us ( Linda) has had a front-row seat in the development of both SEL and the practice of mindfulness in education, as a co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning ( CASEL) and other researched-based SEL and mindfulness programs. With over 40 years of experience, Linda has learned that both SEL and mindfulness may be necessary to truly make a difference in students' lives and in the world.

But how can they be integrated? The answer is that one works from the outside-in-and the other works from the inside-out. When the two come together in the mind of a student, the effect can be powerful.

The difference between SEL and mindfulness

To start, SEL uses an outside-in approach with a focus on teaching skills: a teacher introduces a skill such as recognizing an emotion or using "I" messages, the students practice it for a set amount of time, and then the teacher moves on to the next skill. SEL assumes that this process is enough to enable students to use the skill in all relevant, real-life situations.

Mindfulness, on the other hand, works from the inside out, drawing on the premise that each person has the innate capacity for relationship-building qualities such as empathy and kindness-a premise that research now supports.

By helping students become aware of and then embody the connection between their emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations, students are better able to regulate their emotions, which then impacts things such as their behavior, stress levels, relationships, and ability to focus. In short, mindfulness practices connect students' inner and outer experiences and help them see the congruence between the two.

Cultivating in tandem

SEL and mindfulness, however, are each limited in their own way. Telling students to use an "I" message when they get angry doesn't guarantee that they will do so when their emotions are running high. And just because someone practices mindfulness doesn't mean they have the skills to resolve conflicts.

The limitation of SEL was really brought home to Linda when a male student who had been taught SEL skills through the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program lost control of himself. The boy had been serving as a conflict mediator in his high school when he heard balloons pop. By the third pop, he had shoved the student who was popping the balloons up against the wall.

The principal called Linda and said, "I don't know what went on here. I know he has these SEL skills. Now I have to suspend him and he'll never be a mediator again." When Linda talked to the student, she found out that at one point in his life he had had a loaded gun shoved into his mouth that thankfully didn't go off. She quickly realized that because balloon popping sounded like gunfire, the student had been emotionally triggered and lashed out.

So, even though this student knew how to mediate conflicts-a standard SEL skill, because his amygdala had "hijacked" him, he wasn't able to access those skills when he really needed them. If this student's training had included mindfulness, he would have been more likely to notice that something was going on in his body when he heard the balloons pop. With this awareness, he could have chosen to regulate his emotions through deep breathing or some other technique and then use the skills he had learned through RCCP.

On the other hand, children who just learn mindfulness without SEL skills may be able to calm their emotions in a difficult situation, but still make wrong choices when it comes to getting along with others. For example, students who are insecurely attached - meaning they haven't experienced a safe, trusting relationship with a main caregiver - might have a belief that, in general, people are not to be trusted; thus, these students may not possess the skills for forming positive relationships with peers and teachers.

Integrating SEL and mindfulness

When SEL and mindfulness are integrated, the five SEL competencies laid out by CASEL have more fertile ground in which to grow and ultimately be embodied by students and adults alike. For example:

Competency 1: Self-awareness Students' self-awareness deepens when enhanced by the mindfulness practices of focusing attention and self-compassion.

Competency 2: Self-management Mindfulness increases students' emotion regulation skills, which enhances their ability to resolve conflict more creatively or to say how they're feeling in an emotionally balanced way.

Competency 3: Social awareness Mindfulness increases students' empathy by helping them to regulate their emotions rather than get emotionally overwhelmed when faced with a difficult situation. As a result, their capacity to notice another person's suffering and respond to it increases.

Competency 4: Relationship skills Mindfulness increases compassion. Thus, when students practice SEL skills such as creating a win-win solution with someone who challenges them, they are doing so with more compassionate understanding.

Competency 5: Decision-making Mindfulness increases cognitive flexibility and creativity, which gives students a wider range of responses to challenging situations.

Being the change in the world

Ultimately, when taught and learned together, mindfulness and SEL have the potential to transform our communities and our world with the former cultivating the tendencies for compassion and ethical ways of living and the latter teaching the skills to make that happen.

Linda saw this potential while working with schools in New Orleans when the city was rated the highest in the country for daily shootings. One day when she was teaching students SEL skills, a siren went off in the school and all the children hid under their desks.

One child said to Linda, "Ma'am, Ma'am, please duck and cover. Please duck and cover." Linda then realized that there was a free-for-all shooting happening outside and that the bullets might come in through the classroom windows. The shock of the situation made Linda wonder if there was truly any value in the skills she was teaching to these children.

Later, she asked this group of fifth grade students, "How many of you have been using these skills?" and they all raised their hands. But then one child said, "You know, it's very sad. We're using these skills, but then we go outside and we see terrible things. I saw someone get killed yesterday." Then Linda asked all the students, "How many of you have ever seen somebody get killed?" Again, every hand went up.

But then another child raised his hand and said, "Wait a minute, I just thought of one thing. I realize that even though those bad kids and bad adults are out there, pretty soon we are going to grow up and we're going to be those adults. And that's where it's going to change. That's how it will change for good."

And that is how it will change for good.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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How SEL and Mindfulness Can Work Together

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When taught together, social-emotional learning and mindfulness can have even greater impact on both individuals and the world around us.

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Social and Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. Students in SEL programs are more likely to attend school and receive better grades, and are less likely to have conduct problems. Successful infusion of SEL can result in positive behaviors, increased academic success, and caring communities.

The New Jersey Department of Education has been promoting social and emotional learning to enhance the building of positive school climates and the healthy development of young people.
Social and Emotional Learning Resources in New Jersey
Lesson Plans and Activities
Resources for Families
Social and Emotional Learning in Schools New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional and Character Development
National Schools of Character

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Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

Build social and emotional skills into any class.

Summit students rip up their stress.

Summit Preparatory Charter High School in Redwood City, California, uses a variety of activities in the weekly, 90-minute Habits, Community, and Culture (HCC) class, where students learn Habits of Success and develop social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. The school has developed an HCC curriculum for grades nine through 12 and hired two full-time teachers for HCC, but Summit's academic teachers also use some of these activities to build SEL skills and deepen their relationships with their students. Cady Ching, a biology and AP environmental science teacher at Summit, incorporates opening activities into all of her classes: "In my freshman classes, we do them every class period."

Visualization to release stress: Have your students imagine what stress looks and feels like inside their body, and then ask them to release it. "The mindfulness practice makes you think the stress is coming off your body," says Geoffrey, a 12th-grade student.

Noise isolation: There are a variety of sounds that your students hear when they're in your classroom, from students walking in the hallway to outdoor construction noise. Have your students focus on one noise and describe it to themselves and recall the last time they interacted with it.

Here are some of the opening, group sharing, and closing activities that teachers use at Summit:

Opening Activities

Summit students practice mindfulness.

2. Name the emotion you're bringing to class: Have each student call out the emotion they're feeling. This helps each student know how they and other students are feeling, what different emotions look like, and how to better interact with their peers based on how they're feeling.

3. Write down, rip up, and throw away your stress: Have your students write down their expectations and insecurities, rip them up, and throw them away. This emotional check-in takes about three minutes. By acknowledging how your students are feeling at the start of each class, you'll acknowledge their barriers to learning and create a safe space for your students to overcome them.

5. Quote of the day: Introduce a quote relevant to what your students are learning or to a shared experience-for example, an act of violence in the community. You can facilitate a whole-class discussion, group students into pairs, or have each student share a one-word response to the quote. This gives students the space to reflect on their beliefs and experiences and whether they agree or disagree with the quote and other students' opinions, and it gives them insight into their peers' perspectives and feelings.

6. Where we came from: Collect baby pictures from your students. Project one baby picture at the start of class, have your students guess who it is, and then have the featured student share something about their childhood.

7. Starting positive: Have each student tape a sheet of paper to their back and then walk around and write positive qualities about their peers on their backs.

8. Motivational moment: Have two students start the class with a three- to five-minute presentation-and come up with two or three discussion questions-based on their interests. The presentation must be related to the course content in a real-world context. "Many students include a video for visuals and increased engagement, but it's optional," says Ching. Have the rest of the class partner up to discuss their questions for one minute and then give them the opportunity to share out to the whole class. This exercise gives your students insight into their peers' interests.

Grades 9-12 | Redwood City, CA

Enrollment

388 | Charter, Suburban

Per Pupil Expenditures

Free / Reduced Lunch

47%

Data is from the 2014-2015 academic year.

Group Sharing

9. Circle sharing: To encourage active listening, create small groups. Have your students position their chairs in a circle so everyone can make eye contact. To strengthen empathy, you can facilitate deeper discussion around what a student shares by asking, "Why did that student share what they did?" or "What perspective is that student coming from?"

When discussing emotionally charged topics, it's important to have guidelines to foster a safe space. Summit uses the Courageous Conversation protocol created by Glenn E. Singleton when discussing race. The protocol is guided by four agreements-stay engaged, experience discomfort, speak your truth, and expect and accept nonclosure. Here is an example of elementary school discussion guidelines from School 21.

Summit students sit in a circle for a whole-class discussion.

10. Write a poem from someone else's perspective. Have your students choose someone they don't know. This helps them to understand that they don't "need to be best friends with someone to empathize with them," explains Ballard.

11. Have a conversation with someone you don't know. Have your students pair up with a student they don't know and provide the pairs with five questions to ask each other. Each student introduces their partner to the class, speaking as if they were their partner, while the rest of the class looks at the student being introduced. "We don't see people sometimes," says Ballard, "and this exercise helps students to see each other more deeply."

12. Play interest and identity-related bingo. Instead of squares filled with numbers or vocabulary words, create cards with information relating to your students. Summit's Bingo cards have things like "'I like to read' or 'I was born in a different country,'" says Armando, a ninth-grade student.

I would like to appreciate Brenda for facilitating the conversation in our small group.

I would like to thank everyone for taking this class seriously.

I apologize to everyone for having my headphones in for half of the time.

Closing Activity

13. Appreciation, apology, aha: Have your students get in a circle and share an appreciation, apology, or realization with the group. Students in Ballard's class have shared things like:

Encourage authentic and timely apologies. Apologizing for something that happened a long time ago has less impact than apologizing for something that happened that day or week. Let your students know that they don't have to name who they're apologizing to when they apologize for what they did.

Help students share helpful, not harmful words. "I often say, 'Appreciations, apologies, and ahas should be something that you genuinely think will be useful for people to hear,'" says Ballard.

Have your students snap, clap, or shake both hands when they hear something that resonates with them. "We snap to let people know that we hear them without exerting our own voice in their narrative," explains Ballard. Students shake their hands when peers share things that are emotionally charged. Ballard often gets this started by saying, "Let's shake it up for that."

"When you pay attention to each other, not only does it build a sense of community, but we're more able to understand other people," says Janet, a 12th-grade student. "If you're able to understand people at a younger age, you could work better with them as adults. That changes how the future generations will be. People can be more accepting, more helpful towards each other."

What makes this a SCHOOL THAT WORKS

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Build social and emotional skills into any class.

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SEL can be a powerful lever for creating caring, just, inclusive, and healthy communities that support all individuals in reaching their fullest potential.

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Student response

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SEL lesson for grades 6-8. Source: Rethink Ed

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Rethink SEL- Grade 6 - Stress Management

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Student response

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Getting Started with Mindfulness You have questions about mindfulness and meditation.Mindful has the answers. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the

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Amygdala Hijack and the Fight or Flight Response

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Amygdala Hijack and the Fight or Flight Response

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Have you ever lost control of your emotions and did something in the heat of the moment that you later regretted? Perhaps you've "lost it" or blown up at someone-your partner or child, work colleague, or perhaps the driver of another car-to such a degree that later, you realized was uncalled for.

If your answer is yes, then you've probably been hijacked by your amygdala.

The term "amygdala hijacking" was first used by psychologist Daniel Goleman in his 1995 book, "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ" to refer to an immediate and intense emotional reaction that's out of proportion to the situation. In other words, it's when someone "loses it" or seriously overreacts to something or someone.﻿﻿

Goleman's term aims to recognize that we have an ancient structure in our brain, the amygdala, that is designed to respond swiftly to a threat.

When you see, hear, touch, or taste something, that sensory information first heads to the thalamus, which acts as your brain's relay station. The thalamus then relays that information to the neocortex (the "thinking brain"). From there, it is sent to the amygdala (the "emotional brain") which produces the appropriate emotional response.

However, when faced with a threatening situation, the thalamus sends sensory information to both the amygdala and the neocortex. If the amygdala senses danger, it makes a split-second decision to initiate the fight-or-flight response before the neocortex has time to overrule it.

This cascade of events triggers the release of stress hormones, including the hormones epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and cortisol.

While many of the threats we face today are symbolic, evolutionarily, our brains evolved to deal with physical threats to our survival that required a quick response. As a result, our body still responds with biological changes that prepare us to fight or flight, even though there is no actual physical threat with which we must contend.

Mental Health and the Amygdala

Chronic stress and certain mental health conditions can also play a role in the functioning of fear circuitry in the brain, which can result in greater chances of amygdala hijacking.

People with other anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder may also respond more strongly in their amygdala.﻿﻿

Even without a diagnosis of PTSD or anxiety disorder, chronic stress can lead to an overactive fear and anxiety circuit in your brain, which also reduces the functioning of other areas of the brain that help with inhibition of fear, such as the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex.

All of this means that chronic stress can trigger more frequent amygdala hijacks and even subsequent problems with short-term memory, which is why it is important to work on understanding and taking charge of your emotional reactions. One way to do this is through preventative work.

Learning coping mechanisms and planning ahead can positively influence how you will respond in times of stress and help avoid an amygdala-induced overreaction.

Prevention

The best way to prevent an amygdala hijack is to increase your emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence describes your ability to understand and manage your emotions and use this information in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, and defuse conflict.

A person who is emotionally intelligent has strong connections between the emotional center of the brain and the executive (thinking) center.

Although some people are naturally more emotionally intelligent than others, like many skill sets, emotional intelligence can be cultivated. One way is by practicing mindfulness.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present, aware of where you are and what you're doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around you. According to a 2014 study, mindfulness meditation can help improve your emotional intelligence in three major ways:﻿﻿

Improves your ability to comprehend your own emotions

Helps you learn how to recognize the emotions of others

Strengthens your ability to control your emotions

By practicing mindfulness every day, you will develop this part of your brain and make it stronger. Then, when you find yourself in a stressful situation, it will be easier to switch on the mindful part of your mind.﻿﻿ If you still find yourself having trouble with this concept, try keeping notes throughout the day about situations that cause you to feel strong emotions.

Stress Management

Another key to preventing amygdala hijacking is being aware of your stressors and identifying when acute, everyday stress has turned into chronic stress. If you find yourself constantly in a state of stress, employing stress management techniques can help.

Effective stress management should include fast-acting stress relievers (like breathing exercises) for immediate relief in stressful situations as well as healthy habits that reduce overall stress (like exercise, meditation, and journaling).

Though very effective in preventing amygdala hijacks, it can take time to learn and incorporate mindfulness and stress management into your daily routine. If despite your best efforts at prevention, you find yourself in the middle of a hijack, there are a number of things you can do to quickly get your unwanted emotions under control:

Name it. Notice when you've been triggered and identify what's triggering you. Notice changes in your tone, tightness in your chest or stomach, clenching in your jaw or hands, etc. In these moments, say to yourself, "I'm feeling triggered right now."

Remember the 6-second rule.It takes the chemicals that are released during the amygdala hijacking about 6 seconds to dissipate. Using this time to focus on something pleasant will prevent your amygdala from taking control and causing an emotional reaction

Breathe. Become aware of your breath and slow it down. When you slow down your breathing and make it rhythmic, you activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is your rest response. This type of deep breathing calms down your nervous system and allows you to make thoughtful decisions in stressful times.﻿﻿

Draw on mindfulness. Look around you and notice things in the environment. This will help you to move out of your head and back into the present.

Take a timeout. If you are truly feeling out of control, excuse yourself from the situation you are in to get a hold of your emotions.

While preventing an overreaction in the first place or diffusing it in the moment may be the ultimate goal, it's OK to slip up. If you do find yourself in the aftermath of a full-blown amygdala hijack, take some time to acknowledge your actions and review what happened.

Spending some time thinking about your reactions-especially when they aren't a reflection of your best self-can help to shift you toward a mindful way of viewing your experience. Over time, this practice will help to develop your emotional intelligence as well.

A Word From Verywell

An amygdala hijack can be frightening because of the sense of loss of control and can leave you feeling guilty and regretful. But, with practice, it is possible to avoid letting your emotional response to get the better of you.

If practicing mindfulness and employing stress management techniques aren't cutting it or you could use some extra support, set up an appointment with a mental health professional. Together, you can work to better understand and manage your emotions.

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How to Prevent and Cope From an Amygdala Hijack

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Have you ever lost control of your emotions and did something in the heat of the moment that you later regretted? Perhaps you've "lost it" or blown up at someone-your partner or child, work colleague, or perhaps the driver of another car-to such a degree that later, you realized was uncalled for.

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Student response

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During the pandemic, there have been many uses of the term well-being. When teachers ask students only "How are you feeling?" as a way to gauge well-being, opportunities are missed to teach students that well-being is a multidimensional concept that encompasses more than just happiness. Research shows that if youth explicitly learn about well-being, their concept of subjective well-being can increase because they become mindfully aware of its components.

Present Dimensions of Well-Being

Help students understand two definitions for well-being: In the hedonistic tradition, students evaluate how satisfied they are with their lives, how pleasurable their lives are, and how happy they feel. In the eudaimonic tradition, they assess their personal strengths, areas of growth, and how they contribute to the greater good. This more expansive understanding of well-being can guide students to learn from challenging events and circumstances.

Introduce students to the following dimensions of well-being:

Belonging and connection to others. Ask students, "Where do you feel like you most belong? Are you participating in a specific activity when you feel belonging? What do the people around you do to make you feel like you belong?" Also inquire about times they do not feel like they belong. What do they do to feel connected?

Growth and flourishing. Ask students to describe a personal skill that they have grown in over the last two years. Describing how they have thrived can reinforce the understanding that well-being can involve challenges.

Purpose. We often focus too much on what career path students may want to take, leaving youth feeling a lack of purpose when they don't know those answers. Encourage students to identify short-term purposes, such as, "Today I am going to help my father cook dinner," in addition to long-term goals.

Engagement. Identifying engagement can be as simple as asking students, "What do you enjoy doing?" Students can explore ways they are engaged within their family, school, or community.

Voice. Let youth know that there are many different ways to share their voice. Maybe they express themselves best through less traditional forms, such as writing equations, being in nature, participating in performing arts, or playing musical instruments.

Basic supports for health and life. Remind students of their basic needs. Ask about what they do if their needs are not being met, and encourage them to name trusted adults they can turn to for help.

Engage with the Dimensions

Establish a space where well-being education will be welcomed by inquiring about student needs. Ask, "How would you like your peers to show that they support you when you are feeling down? How would you like me to support you?" Record the answers and discuss ideas until the group is in agreement. Model the process by sharing something that was difficult for you and asking for community support.

Offer ways the dimensions might show up in daily life. For example, "One dimension I feel is going well is belonging because my family is supporting one another right now."

Sentence frames can help students make connections while using critical thinking to apply new terminology to lived experience, such as the following:

____________(insert dimension) means ____________ to me. It looks like and feels like ____________. In my daily life, an example of a positive ____________ (insert dimension) is ____________.

For example, a fifth grader used the dimension "basic supports for health and life" to write, "Basic support for health and life means that everybody can get to a doctor. It looks and feels like band-aids. In my daily life, an example of a positive basic support is that my grandma can get her medicine."

An eighth grader used the dimension "voice" to write, "Voice means expressing my unique identity to me. It looks and feels like talking with my friends. In my daily life, an example of a positive voice is when my parents actually listen to me."

Use the responses to gain new information about students and insight on ways they might need support.

Use Weekly Check-ins

Once a class has an understanding of the dimensions, they can be used to facilitate weekly check-ins. Check-ins can be incorporated into circle time, in advisory time, or via journals between the teacher and each child. Ask "What dimension of well-being has been challenging for you this week?" or "What dimension has been a strength for you this week?" Place paper with the dimensions on the floor, and have students walk to the dimension that has been a strength. Invite them to turn to their peers and discuss why they selected this dimension, using examples. Students report that this provides them with new examples of positive experiences that they can then consider in their own lives.

Avoid asking youth to elaborate upon challenges, as probing questions can lead to retraumatization. Instead, accept what students share and how they share. Validate their responses by listening intently, asking, "What support do you need from me?" When they identify needs, follow through in your support for them. Supporting student ideas, versus immediately working to project your ideas for solutions onto them, promotes youth agency.

Remind students that just because we are struggling in one dimension does not mean we are alone or that we have zero well-being. Counter the misconception that well-being is a "you've got it or you don't" feeling.

When a student expresses something that has got them feeling down, discuss it. Then, when the time is right, ask, "I know that dimension ______ has been tough this week. Is there a dimension that has gone well?" When youth begin to see that one dimension could be positive while another dimension is negative, it reinforces the idea that well-being is multidimensional and not a fixed state.

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During the pandemic, there have been many uses of the term well-being. When teachers ask students only "How are you feeling?" as a way to gauge well-being, opportunities are missed to teach students that well-being is a multidimensional concept that encompasses more than just happiness.

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Four Reasons Why Students—and Teachers—Need SEL Embedded Into School All Day, Every Day

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Four Reasons Why Students—and Teachers—Need SEL Embedded Into School All Day, Every Day

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It's no secret that educators who champion the whole-child approach also laud social and emotional learning (SEL) for its scientifically linked success in creating a productive, positive, less stressful school climate.

At Rethink Ed, we know from examining the research that for SEL to have the most transformative effect, it must be embedded into the entire school-all day, every day.

"Scientific studies show that SEL practices improve students' academic performance, behavior, and attendance," say Dr. Christina Cipriano, Director of Research at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Rethink Ed contributor. "These practices help students and their teachers form and sustain better quality relationships, and improve both students' and teachers' psychological health and well-being."

And yet, unprecedented levels of bullying-induced stress are wreaking havoc on students' mental, physical and behavioral health. The problem has gotten so bad that New York and Virginia recently mandated mental health education in their school curriculums to "enhance student understanding, attitudes, and behavior that promote health, well-being, and human dignity."

Educators aren't immune either. A 2017 report by the American Federation of Teachers says teachers are more stressed out more often than the general U.S. workforce, citing hostile work conditions, high-stakes testing, diminished autonomy, and lack of planning time as prevailing reasons.

Not surprisingly, schools rife with anxiety-laden students and stressed-out teachers struggle compared to those marked by quality relationships and positive psychological health and well-being.

So what's holding educators back from experiencing the very real benefits of SEL, including better academic performance, greater self-efficacy, and higher quality relationships?

For many, it's a lack of training. A recent national survey found that although four out of five teachers are interested in SEL professional learning, only 55 percent have received it.

SEL Resources from Rethink Ed

Meet the Rethink SEL experts.

Watch a sample professional development video lesson.

Learn about Rethink Ed SEL, the first combined instructional and assessment program.

Explore the Rethink Ed blog written by SEL experts.

At Rethink Ed, we're closing that gap by introducing a comprehensive, evidence-based, first-of-its-kind SEL solution that promotes mental health, emotional regulation, and prosocial behaviors for all learners -including the adults who teach and support them.

In developing our platform, we sought to better understand the who, what, why, and how of teaching social and emotional learning. We took a holistic approach to the question of how to cultivate the development of social and emotional competencies, and whether successfully integrating and building a culture around SEL into the school really matters.

Here's what we found:

1. SEL is for teachers, too. The best teachers are learners first, then role models for the SEL skills they want to see in their students. Social and emotional learning is most productive when all teachers are invested in the program. With SEL, students not only experience less anxiety, less hyperactivity, and less aggression, they're generally happier and more attentive, too. The impact on teachers is no less profound. Teachers report that SEL contributes to their own feelings of happiness, and helps them be more organized and responsive.

2. Data must drive decision making. Despite a general trend toward data-driven decision making, many schools lack the ability to understand and support the development of SEL skills which emphasize proactive academic, career, and citizenship behaviors. The ability to evaluate relevant outcomes, changes in behavior, fidelity of implementation, and staff buy-in are, in some instances, also lacking. Schools need definitive, quality data to guide SEL programming selection, implementation, and outcomes assessment in order for administrators to monitor staff participation and training outcomes, and for teachers to effectively and efficiently evaluate student participation and progress.

3. SEL programming must be flexible. For students to acquire and apply SEL skills, educators must have access to a flexible instructional model that lets them incorporate SEL throughout the school day. For schoolwide SEL to succeed, student-centered lessons and resources must be unique for each tier of learning and include modifications to meet the learning needs of every student, including those requiring Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports.

4. Implementation and collaboration supports are a must. Student development of SEL skills greatly improves when school districts and leadership have the necessary tools and resources to facilitate better collaboration between themselves, their students, and the students' families. When administrators and educators are equally engaged in SEL skill application with the support of family and community, students successfully incorporate SEL practices in (and out) of the classroom.

It's time to face facts. Truly meaningful experiences for educators and students are possible only if and when SEL moves beyond the theoretical to the practical. And that means embedding SEL throughout the school all day. Not only does it boost academic achievement, it also enhances connectedness, lowers the rate of problem behaviors such as aggression and negative affect, and improves psychosocial functioning in both children and adults.

The wider and deeper the SEL intervention, the more profound the impact on every student, every teacher and every parent.

SEL In Action: Stress Management

Here's an overview of how Rethink Ed's SEL platform tackles stress management for all learners using our proprietary methodology, Learn It, Practice It, Dive Deeper. You can also take a tour of this lesson.

With heart pounding, palms sweating and flashes of a failing grade in his mind, 13-year-old Jake is all stressed out because he forgot about his Monday morning science exam with Mr. Bunting. Fortunately for Jake, his principal, Mrs. Bryan, was well ahead of Jake and his stress levels, having assigned her staff the stress management professional development module during last Thursday's morning meeting.

In less than 10 minutes on Friday, Mr. Bunting learned numerous strategies for managing stress, many of which tracked right along with his lesson plan on the human body. Before the exam, Mr. Bunting leads Jake and his classmates through a stress management technique called, "The Long Exhale." This 1:2 breathing practice gradually increases the rate of exhalation, which naturally relaxes the body's nervous system.

Source: Rethink Ed

In just seconds, Jake feels himself calm down so that he is able to take-and pass-the test.

Later, Jake's English teacher has his class watch a four-minute video on stress before assigning an in-class essay: "Describe a situation where you felt stress, and then talk about a strategy you used or could have used to manage it."

SEL lesson for grades 6-8. Source: Rethink Ed; watch on YouTube here.

Lucky, Jake. He just happens to have a recent experience to share: test-induced stress and the breathing technique that made things better, faster.

Next, Jake heads to media art class for 50 minutes of visual design study. His homework? Create a "Don't Stress" bumper sticker featuring the one strategy Jake will practice to manage current and future stress. Lucky, Jake. He just happens to have a recent experience to share: test-induced stress and the breathing technique that made things better, faster.

Meanwhile ...

Jake completes a short, self-assessment survey, and is encouraged by his progress.

Principal Bryan monitors teacher participation and is pleased that Mr. Bunting was on it.

Mr. Bunting evaluates and tracks Jake's progress and behavior outcomes, noting that there was no need to give Jake a verbal warning today.

Jake's parents log in to the message center and ask a question about an at-home stress management strategy.

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Four Reasons Why Students-and Teachers-Need SEL Embedded Into School All Day, Every Day - EdSurge News

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It's no secret that educators who champion the whole-child approach also laud social and emotional learning (SEL) for its scientifically linked success in creating a productive, positive, less stressful school climate. At Rethink Ed, we know from examining the research that for SEL to have the most transformative effect, it must be embedded into the entire school-all day, every day.

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So, you've discovered the joy of yoga. Now it's time to spread the love! Grab a good friend, a co-worker, your lover, that guy in yoga class you've always wanted to meet, your kids, a neighbor (you get the idea, it could be anyone), and try doing some partner yoga poses together.

Todd Walton writes in the book Open Body, "Yoga for two gives us a wonderful opportunity to merge our intentions and move beyond barriers we've discovered in our aloneness. Yoga for two bodies is also yoga for two spirits."

Make sure you and your partner are on the same page by asking some of these check-in questions before, during, and after the yoga practice:

Does that feel okay?

Is that too much pressure?

Is it okay with you if I touch your knees?

Is it okay if I touch your arm like that?

How does that feel for you?

Do you want any more intensity?

How was that for you?

Being open-minded, openhearted, and willing to go with the flow makes this yoga practice interesting and fun. Boundaries, ground rules, and clear intentions also ensure that the experience is safe and enjoyable for everyone.
The possibilities of doing yoga with a friend, lover, child, or parent are endless. Get creative and enjoy the company! Here are five ideas to get you started.

1. Sit Back-to-Back and Breathe

This is a great place to begin. As you sit back to back on the floor, you'll establish a connection without having to look at your partner (which can be vulnerable and awkward at the start).

Benefits:

Back support as you sit in meditation.

Relaxation and breath awareness through Pranayama.

A sense of well-being, pain relief, and comfort being touched.

Sit back-to-back with your partner.

Come to sit comfortably. Cross your legs or put the souls of your feel together. Prop yourself on a blanket or bolster if your hips are tight.

Breathe together for a few moments just noticing how it feels to breathe with another person.

After a few moments, sync up your breathing: try breathing in together for three to five seconds and then out together for three to five seconds.

Continue like this for five rounds of breath.

Finish by sitting quietly in meditation for a few breaths and then checking in verbally.

An alternative option: This requires a bit more focus. Sync up by alternating inhales and exhales. As you inhale, your partner will exhale and vice versa. Your inhale is your partner's exhale and your exhale is your partner's inhale.

2. Sit Back-to-Back and Twist

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5 Partner Yoga Poses to Inspire Connection

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So, you've discovered the joy of yoga. Now it's time to spread the love! Grab a good friend, a co-worker, your lover, that guy in yoga class you've always wanted to meet, your kids, a neighbor (you get the idea, it could be anyone), and try doing some partner yoga poses together.

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Before you get to the point where you feel like resting your head on your desk, recharge by adding some mindfulness to your work day with this simple guided practice to meditate right where you are.

Most of us spend a great deal of time sitting behind our desks, or in conference rooms or colleagues' offices, so having a short practice that helps you refresh your attention while at work can be beneficial. What I call the "desk chair" meditation gives you a way to incorporate a short mindfulness practice into your day.

This meditation can be done anywhere you are able to sit quietly and practice.

If you work in an open office, you may need to be creative to find a quiet place to practice. Many people have told me that they're best able to do this practice by leaving their office and finding an empty conference room, or even leaving the building to sit in their car during part of their lunch break.

The "desk chair" part need not be taken literally. This meditation can be done anywhere you are able to sit quietly and practice-be it the staff room, a park bench, or even an airplane seat.

A Meditation You Can Do at Your Desk

1. Begin by bringing your attention to the sensations of your breath.

2. When you're ready, direct your attention to the soles of your feet, opening your mind to whatever sensations are there to be noticed.

3. Perhaps you are noticing the pressure on the soles of your feet as the weight of your legs rests on them. Perhaps the soles of your feet feel warm or cool.

4. Just notice. No need to judge or engage in discursive thinking. If your mind is pulled away or wanders, redirect your attention, firmly and gently.

5. Move your attention next to the tops of your feet, ankles, lower legs, knees, and so forth.

6. Gradually scan through your body, noticing sensations, noticing discomfort, and noticing areas of your body where you detect an absence of sensations. No need to search for sensations; just keep scanning through your body, taking your time and being open to what is here.

Excerpted from Finding the Space to Lead: A Practical Guide to Mindful Leadership by Janice Marturano. Copyright ©2014 by Janice Marturano. January, 2014, by Bloomsbury Press. Reprinted with permission.

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Before you get to the point where you feel like resting your head on your desk, recharge by adding some mindfulness to your work day with this simple guided practice to meditate right where you are.

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How Mindfulness Empowers Us: An Animation Narrated by Sharon Salzberg

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4-Minute Neck and Shoulders Stretch at Your Desk 

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4-Minute Neck and Shoulders Stretch at Your Desk 

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-Gaiam

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4-Minute Neck and Shoulders Stretch at Your Desk | Yoga | Gaiam

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How stress affects your brain - Madhumita Murgia

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Teachers Are Stressed, And That Should Stress Us All

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Teachers Are Stressed, And That Should Stress Us All

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We all experience stress at work, no matter the job. But for teachers, the work seems to be getting harder and the stress harder to shake.

A new report out this month pulls together some stark numbers on this:

Forty-six percent of teachers say they feel high daily stress. That's on par with nurses and physicians. And roughly half of teachers agree with this statement: "The stress and disappointments involved in teaching at this school aren't really worth it."

It's a problem for all of us - not just these unhappy teachers.

Here's why: "Between 30 and 40 percent of teachers leave the profession in their first five years," says Mark Greenberg, a professor of human development and psychology at Penn State.

And that turnover, he says, costs schools - and taxpayers - billions of dollars a year, while research (like this and this) suggests teacher burnout hurts student achievement, too.

Greenberg has studied America's schools for more than 40 years, and, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (also an NPR funder), he helped author the new brief exploring teacher stress.

He says teachers feel frazzled for many reasons, including high-stakes testing and the fact that many students are themselves coming to school stressed. As for the fixes, Greenberg recommends a few.

New teachers who receive steady mentoring are less likely to quit. Workplace wellness programs can also help. But both require schoolwide, even districtwide buy-in. If that's not realistic, Greenberg suggests a fix that is well within every teacher's control, one that just might surprise you ...
Mindfulness
That's right, mindfulness. For teachers. Patricia Jennings wrote the book on it (literally). It's called Mindfulness For Teachers.

Jennings was a teacher herself for two decades and now studies stress in the classroom as a professor and researcher at the University of Virginia. The Journal of Educational Psychology will soon publish a study of her work in New York City, teaching mindfulness to more than 200 educators in high-poverty schools.

Jennings says the teachers who received mindfulness training "showed reduced psychological distress and time urgency - which is this feeling like you don't have enough time. And then improvements in mindfulness and emotion regulation."

Translation: These teachers were better able to cope with classroom challenges and manage their feelings, which made it easier for them to manage their students' big feelings. And that, says Jennings, helps students learn.

What is mindfulness? Definitions vary, but Jennings likes to think of it this way: attending to things in the moment with curiosity and acceptance.

If this all sounds a bit ... squishy, rest assured, there's even research on how mindfulness can help reduce stress in U.S. Marines preparing for deployment.

Meria Carstarphen is not a teacher but knows a thing or two about classroom stress. She has run a couple of big city school systems and is now superintendent in Atlanta. Carstarphen says she advises new teachers: You can't take care of your students if you don't take care of yourself.

"Put your oxygen mask on first," she tells her rookies. "Then we'll talk about everybody else."

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Teachers Are Stressed, And That Should Stress Us All

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We all experience stress at work, no matter the job. But for teachers, the work seems to be getting harder and the stress harder to shake. A new report out this month pulls together some stark numbers on this: Forty-six percent of teachers say they feel high daily stress.

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Mindfulness in Schools: Mindfulness and the Brain for Children

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Behavioral Scientist

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Imagine. It's 8am. You're in the back of a 6th grade science classroom. The students are sitting up tall in their chairs, their eyes gently closed. The teacher walks slowly around the room and guides them through a breathing exercise. "As you breathe, you may notice your attention drifting to thoughts that come into your head, distracting you from your breath... Treat these thoughts like trains coming into a station... Simply let them pass through, returning your attention to your breath..."

The teacher pauses. You hear only the sound of deep breathing. After a few short minutes, the exercise ends. The teacher invites the students to open their eyes. It's time to begin the school day.

Just three years ago, it would have been hard to imagine this scene in a Baltimore middle school, and harder still to imagine just how effective these short mindful breathing exercises would be. But this fall, nearly six hundred teachers in Baltimore City will be using these exercises with their students.

Mindfulness was not the original goal. In collaboration with the Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP), my colleagues and I at the University of Pennsylvania began a project to help underperforming middle school students achieve academically. At first, we thought we would target grit and perseverance. Our aim shifted after we conducted interviews and focus groups with teachers.

Three years ago, it would have been hard to imagine this scene in a Baltimore middle school, and harder still to imagine just how effective these short mindful breathing exercises would be.

Many teachers told us that their primary concern was getting their students to calm down and focus. Teachers in all three middle schools had their hands full; nearly one-hundred percent of their students qualified for free and reduced-price lunch, and a significant number of students struggled to regulate their behaviors and emotions in ways that schools demand. These factors and many more contributed to the lack of focus and engagement in the classroom. As a result, teachers wanted approaches and practices that would get their students ready to engage and learn.

We looked for evidence-based approaches that could lead to increased focus, attention, cognitive function, and well-being. We found mindfulness.

These days, "mindfulness" is everywhere. You can't go very far without seeing a beautiful blond-haired woman meditating on the cover of a magazine. The reality of Baltimore City schools could hardly be more different. How can mindfulness apply to-and help-real and struggling students?

First, what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the capacity to regulate one's attention and present experience, while holding an accepting stance towards that experience. In plain English, it is attending to the moment, non-judgmentally. We can think of mindfulness practices (meditation, yoga, mindful walking) as ways of cultivating this capacity.

These practices are rooted in Eastern religions, particularly Buddhism, but a secular version has taken hold in the United States. During the late 1970s, a professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts, Jon Kabat-Zinn, developed an eight-week secular mindfulness training program for adults. This training program came to be known as MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction). Since MBSR's inception, studies of this eight-week training program have shown a raft of positive effects: significant increases in participants' attention and emotion regulation, activity in brain regions associated with positive emotions, quality of life, and reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression.

Based on this secular approach, many programs are springing up in school settings with the hope of fostering these same capacities in youth. ( MindUP, Mindful Schools, and Learning to Breathe, are several examples.) These programs range from modified versions of the MBSR curriculum to mindful coloring to breath awareness exercises to yoga. In response to this recent uptick in mindfulness-based interventions, an emerging body of research examines the effects of these interventions in educational settings.

We looked for evidence-based approaches that could lead to increased focus, attention, cognitive function, and well-being. We found mindfulness.

A recent meta-analysis examined 76 studies of mindfulness-based interventions, 49 of which were conducted in school settings. The meta-analysis found that these programs consistently lead to reductions in negative emotions and subjective distress, and show promising positive effects on academic achievement and school functioning, as well as on physical health.

However, the meta-analysis also exposes a few methodological limitations. For instance, most of the studies do not account for whether the interventions were implemented correctly or track the quantity of time participants practice mindfulness-based exercises. In addition, only a handful of studies looked at outcomes like academic achievement and school functioning, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.

Furthermore, the majority of studies included in the meta-analysis examined comprehensive training programs (similar to the MBSR approach for adults). Only a few assessed light-touch approaches, such as the short and frequent breathing exercises mentioned above. That said, the meta-analysis found no association between student outcomes and intervention dosage.

In other words, there is no evidence to suggest that participation in MBSR-type programs is more beneficial than brief mindful breathing programs; there were net positive outcomes for both program types. Future research could explore the relationship between program type (e.g., frequent and consistent practice versus comprehensive curricula) and student outcomes, to help educators make more informed decisions about programs based on their time and budgetary constraints.

In Baltimore, my colleagues and I settled on a light touch approach, mainly because teachers were concerned about giving up instructional time for mindfulness exercises. We developed quick and easy-to-implement exercises, framing them as potential time savers. We called them Focus 5: seven exercises which take no longer than five minutes to complete. All the teachers needed to do was read the cards.

Video produced by Wide Angle Youth Media

We hypothesized that by using short yet frequent breathing exercises, teachers would be able to establish calmer and more focused classroom environments. This in turn would lessen distraction, boost engagement, and elevate student learning and achievement.

These exercises, which were short and easy, proved to be effective, at least qualitatively. They were well-received by teachers, administrators, and students.

One 6th-grade teacher who implemented Focus 5 stated, "I think the most surprising thing is that the students I expected to be most resistant, it works the best for. It's almost like it's a reset button. And they're like, 'Okay, I'm ready now.'"

"I think the most surprising thing is that the students I expected to be most resistant, it works the best for. It's almost like it's a reset button. And they're like, 'Okay, I'm ready now.'"

More research is needed to measure the extent to which the exercises promote outcomes like increased focus, attention, and academic achievement, as well as whether the exercises work better for some students than others. But there are many lessons from this piloting experience.

First, light touch interventions, like these short breathing exercises, allow for flexibility and scalability, both of which are essential when trying to bring about change in complex school settings.

Second, it is essential to listen to teachers when developing these types of interventions, because teachers understand best what is most needed and feasible in their school contexts. This not only promotes initial buy-in, but also boosts support down the road when it comes to encouraging widespread adoption of these practices.

Third, it is not only important to listen to teachers; it is essential to start with teachers. They need to be doing the practices too.

It might seem intuitive that if schools want to bring these practices to students, they should begin by bringing these practices to teachers. But that is usually not the case. Currently, there are few programs and studies focusing on mindfulness for teachers. How can these practices stick if teachers are not doing them as well? I'll delve into that in my next article.

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The Mindful Student - Behavioral Scientist

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Imagine. It's 8am. You're in the back of a 6th grade science classroom. The students are sitting up tall in their chairs, their eyes gently closed. The teacher walks slowly around the room and guides them through a breathing exercise.

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The health benefits of expressing gratitude are many, and some might surprise you.

Scholars, spiritual leaders, and scientists throughout history have deliberated on gratitude. More recently, the scientifically-validated benefits of gratitude are better understood.

Through the work of leading researchers like Robert Emmons and Martin Seligman, we know that this virtue is more than just saying, "thank you."

Numerous studies are demonstrating how gratitude journaling can increase one's happiness. Others show that inflammation in one's body can decrease. Each study offers insights into how a person can improve their overall health and well-being.

Throughout this article, you will discover that expressing gratitude reduces stress, increases optimism, and changes your brain.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our 3 Positive Psychology Exercises for free. These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values and self-compassion and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students or employees.

What are the Benefits of Gratitude?

The Greater Good Science Center offers a plethora of information on this subject. In a white paper titled, "The Science of Gratitude" (2018), they outline several benefits to gratitude practice.

For the individual:

increased happiness and positive mood

more satisfaction with life

less materialistic

less likely to experience burnout

better physical health

better sleep

less fatigue

lower levels of cellular inflammation

greater resiliency

encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom

For groups:

increases prosocial behaviors

strengthens relationships

may help employees' effectiveness

may increase job satisfaction

Emmons & Mishra (2011) explored many of the above benefits in " Why gratitude enhances well-being: What we know, what we need to know." They concluded that there is " considerable evidence that gratitude builds social resources by strengthening relationships and promoting prosocial actions. " As you continue reading, you will discover more support for making gratitude a habit.

A Look at the Research on Showing Gratitude

Showing gratitude is not merely saying, "thank you." Wong and Brown (2017) asked how gratitude affects us mentally and physically. Their study involved assigning students into three groups:

Group one wrote a gratitude letter to another person every week for three weeks. Group two wrote about their thoughts and feelings about negative experiences. Group three didn't write anything. All three groups received counseling services. Group one reported "significantly better mental health four and 12 weeks" after the intervention ended. Their findings also suggest that a combined gratitude practice/counseling approach is more beneficial than counseling alone.

The researchers analyzed their findings to figure out how gratitude has these effects. They determined that gratitude does four things:

1. Gratitude disconnects us from toxic, negative emotions and the ruminating that often accompanies them. Writing a letter "shifts our attention" so that our focus is on positive emotions.

2. Expressing gratitude helps us even if we don't explicitly share it with someone. We're happier and more satisfied with life because we completed the exercise.

3. The positive effects of gratitude writing compound like interest. You might not notice the benefit of a daily or weekly practice, but after several weeks and months, you will.

4. A gratitude practice trains the brain to be more in tune with experiencing gratitude - a positive plus a positive, equal more positives.

Their findings echo research done by Emmons and many others.

Bartlett & DeSteno (2006) found there is a positive relationship between kind, helpful behavior, and feeling grateful. In, " Gratitude and prosocial behavior: Helping when it costs you, " they discuss this connection in great detail. Throughout three studies they determined,

Gratitude facilitates helping behavior,

Grateful people help the people who helped them (benefactors) and strangers similarly, and

Reminding people who helped them (a benefactor) still increased helping behavior exhibited toward strangers. The reciprocity norm wasn't a factor.

Dickens and DeSteno (2018) found an association between self-control (patience) and gratitude. Grateful people delay future rewards to a higher degree than ungrateful people. The researchers point out that this has implications for more than one's finances. Increasing levels of gratitude also could help people positively affect health-related behaviors.

Counterpoints

Not all the research supports positive outcomes. Sansone & Sansone (2010) highlight four studies that " temper the association between gratitude and well-being. "

In, " Gratitude and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in Vietnam war veterans," Kashdan and colleagues (2006) found that trait gratitude had a relationship with well-being, but only among participants with PTSD. Trait gratitude is defined as " an enduring personality characteristic that describes or determines an individual's behavior across a range of situations " (APA, n.d.).

Researcher Patricia Henrie (2006) explored the affects daily gratitude journaling has on well-being and adjusting to divorce. The study included middle-aged women, all of whom belonged to and practiced the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). In " The effects of gratitude on divorce adjustment and well-being of middle-aged divorced women," Henrie found that participants in her treatment groups experienced no improvement in life satisfaction.

Sansone and Sansone (2010) write that participants in Ozimkowski's 2007 study wrote and delivered a letter to someone in their lives whom they'd never thanked. The study titled, " The gratitude visit in children and adolescents: an investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being " revealed that writing and delivering a gratitude letter did not enhance well-being among children and adolescents. Ozimkowski's dissertation, cited by 14 other researchers, was unavailable at the time of this writing (Google Scholar, n.d.).

Gurel Kirgiz (2007) investigated whether experimentally-induced gratitude influences affect and temporary self-construal. The results, outlined in " Effects of gratitude on subjective well-being, self-construal, and memory " suggest that state gratitude does not have a relationship with well-being, but that trait gratitude does. State gratitude is defined as one's present or current level of gratitude.

Robert Emmons (2010), the preeminent scholar in this field, makes the argument that gratitude allows a person to:

celebrate the present

block toxic emotions (envy, resentment, regret, depression)

be more stress-resilient, and

strengthen social ties and self-worth.

Gratitude research is on-going by experts worldwide.

When gratitude fails

As easy as gratitude is to put into practice, there is one thing that can get in the way of it 'going viral:' Ingratitude. Emmons (2013) offers the following characteristics of ingratitude:

excessive sense of self-importance

arrogance

vanity

unquenchable need for admiration and approval

sense of entitlement

Some might recognize these as traits describing a narcissistic personality. Philosopher David Hume (1739) wrote, " Of all crimes that human creatures are capable of committing, the most horrid and unnatural is ingratitude."

Researcher Thomas Gilovich (2017) describes ingratitude as the result of " adaptation, dwelling on negatives, and skewed perceptions of hardships." In Enemies of Gratitude, Gilovich explains how and why these three experiences interfere with one's ability to express gratitude. In addition to this, he offers ways to combat these enemies.

The Effects Gratitude Has on Health

According to Julie Ray (2019) of the Gallup Organization, " The world took a negative turn in 2017, with global levels of stress, worry, sadness and pain hitting new highs. " How can this trend change for the better? Research demonstrates that one way is through practicing gratitude.

The following studies demonstrate the affect gratitude has on one's mental and physical health.

Writing a gratitude letter and counting blessings had "high utility scores and were associated with substantial improvements in optimism" (Huffman, Dubois, Healy, Boehm, Kashdan, Celano, Denninger, & Lyubomirsky, 2014).

Gratitude letter writing leads to better mental health in adult populations seeking psychotherapy (Wong, Owen, Brown, Mcinnis, Toth, & Gilman, 2016).

Gratitude buffers people from stress and depression (Wood, Maltby, Gillett, Linley, & Joseph, 2008).

Positive reframing underlies the relationship between trait gratitude and a sense of coherence. A sense of coherence is how confident a person feels about potential life outcomes. It is the degree to which a person feels optimistic and in control of future events (Lambert, Graham, Fincham, & Stillman, 2009).

Patients who expressed optimism/gratitude two weeks after an acute coronary event had healthier hearts (Huffman, Beale, Beach, Celano, Belcher, Moore, Suarez, Gandhi, Motiwala, Gaggin, & Januzzi 2015).

Gratitude and spiritual well-being are related to positive affect, sleep quality, energy, self-efficacy, and lower cellular inflammation (Mills, Redwine, Wilson, Pung, Chinh, Greenberg, Lunde, Maisel, & Raisinghani, 2015).

Gratitude may enhance peace of mind, reduce rumination, and have a negative effect on depressive symptoms (Liang, Chen, Li, Wu, Wang, Zheng, & Zeng, 2018).

If a person could do only one thing to increase their health and happiness, expressing gratitude might be it. Martin Seligman, a pioneer in the field of Positive Psychology, has remarked, " when we take time to notice the things that go right - it means we're getting a lot of little rewards throughout the day " (BrainyQuote, n.d.).

Every time a person expresses or receives gratitude, dopamine releases in the brain. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, is produced in two areas of the brain: the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental. The former has to do with movement and speech, the latter with reward (Carter, 2009). When a person expresses or receives gratitude, dopamine releases, thus making a connection between the behavior and feeling good. The more a person practices gratitude, the more often dopamine releases.

Proven Advantages of Keeping a Daily Gratitude Journal

One of the most popular gratitude exercises is the daily gratitude journal. One study found that materialism among adolescents decreased when they implemented this practice. Participants also donated 60% more money to charity (Chaplin, Roedder John, Rindfleisch, & Froh, 2019).

Fritz and colleagues (2019) learned that after completing a gratitude writing exercise, state gratitude predicted healthier eating behavior among undergraduate students. In a second study, they found that a weekly gratitude letter was associated with better eating habits. The teens in this study also experienced fewer negative emotions during the intervention period, which spanned four weeks.

Gratitude journaling might reduce inflammation in people who have experienced Stage B, asymptomatic heart failure (Redwine, Henry, Pung, Wilson, Chinh, Jain, Rutledge, Greenberg, Maisel, & Mills 2016). In a study titled " Gratitude journaling intervention in patients with Stage B heart failure," Redwine and colleagues (2016) piloted an 8-week gratitude journaling intervention. Compared to standard treatment, the intervention group also experienced an improvement in trait gratitude scores.

There is conflicting research about how often a person should journal. Sonja Lyubomirsky and colleagues (2010) found that once or twice per week is more beneficial than daily journaling.

The Benefits of Gratitude in the Workplace

People spend more time per week working than with their families (OECD, 2019). Since this is the case, it is vital that people work in healthy, supportive environments. Instilling and expressing gratitude is a simple way companies can increase employees' job satisfaction.

Some employers and employees are hesitant to engage in formal gratitude practices. In response, researcher Amie Gordon (2019) identified Four myths about being grateful at work. She outlined the truths about gratitude revealed through scientific inquiry.

The myths and truths are:

Myth #1: It's forced.
Truth: Participants assigned to "be more grateful" are more satisfied, healthier, and happier. People enjoy gratitude interventions even when told to practice it.

Myth #2: It's fake.
Truth: Expressing gratitude when it is felt matters. Being specific about what one is grateful for heightens the experience for both people.

Myth #3: It's fluffy.
Truth: Gratitude is about feeling valued by others and seeing value in others. The majority of employees will leave if they do not feel appreciated and recognized.

Myth #4: It undermines authority.
Truth: Grateful leaders inspire trust. They are perceived as having more integrity.

There is no denying that many workplaces or specific jobs induce stress. How can expressing gratitude help?

Focusing on events at work about which one is grateful reduces stress and depression (Cheng, Tsui, & Lam, 2015). In their study titled, "Improving mental health in health care practitioners," 102 practitioners were divided into three groups:

Group 1: Wrote a work-related gratitude journal 2x/week for four consecutive weeks
Group 2: Wrote about work-related hassles 2x/.week for four consecutive weeks
Group 3: No diary

The researchers collected information about depressive symptoms and perceived stress at baseline, posttreatment, and during a 3-month follow-up. Those who wrote a work-related gratitude journal experienced a decline in stress and depressive symptoms when compared to the other two groups. Groups two and three were nearly the same as each other.

How to implement gratitude company-wide

Cultivating gratefulness at work can be a challenging undertaking, but professor Ryan Fehr (2019) has Three research-backed tips for a grateful workplace. They are:

1. Build a gratitude habit (rituals, practices, etc.)

2. Draw from many resources (appreciation programs, interventions, helping others, others helping us, building skills, etc.)

3. Guard against negative emotions (envy, excessive pride, and anger)

Charles Schwab & Co. is an example of successfully implementing a company-wide gratitude program. Diana Jason explains how the company put gratitude to work. As you will hear, the leadership had already focused on employee recognition but wanted to take things further. They decided to shift from milestones and metrics to valuing people. Pay particular attention to her description of their appreciation portal.

Do gratitude programs really make a difference at work?

Cultural differences

Floyd and colleagues (2018) argue that much of the research around gratitude has two flaws:

1. It is focused on English-speaking and Western-European populations, and

2. Current research conflates gratitude as an emotion with it as a linguistic activity.

The researchers assert that social reciprocity still occurs despite cultural differences in expressed gratitude (saying 'thank you'). In other words, one need not say 'thank you' to have a sense of reciprocity. They conclude that:

" Despite the attitudes encountered in some cultures that emphasize saying 'thank you' often, such practices do not appear to be necessary for the maintenance of everyday social reciprocity." When conducting studies with English-speaking or Western European populations, researchers should " use caution when coming to species-wide conclusions based on such populations."

16 Things You Can Do to Realize These Benefits

These suggestions adapted from Sansone & Sansone (2010) and Emmons (2010) are easy to do daily or weekly.

1. Journal about things, people, or situations for which you are grateful. Consider including negative situations like avoiding an accident, for instance.

2. Think about someone for whom you are grateful

3. Write a gratitude letter to someone for whom you are thankful. Consider sending it or giving it to them in person.

4. Meditate on gratitude (present moment awareness).

5. Do the "Count Your Blessings" exercise (at the end of the day, write down three things for which you were grateful)

6. Practice saying "thank you" in a real and meaningful way. Be specific. For example, "Thank you for taking the time to read this article and leave a comment. I enjoy reading your contributions because they broaden my understanding of this subject."

7. Write thank you notes. Some might say this is a lost art. Challenge yourself to write one hand-written note every week for one month.

8. If religious, pray about your gratitude or use specific prayers of gratitude. Interfaith Worker Justice offers Muslim, Jewish, and Christian examples. Secular Seasons has several graces and invocations. You also can find a collection of secular gratitude approaches on Be. Orlando Humanist Fellowship.

9. Recall a negative event. Doing this helps you appreciate your current situation.

10. Be mindful of your five senses. How does each enhance your life?

11. Create visual reminders to practice gratitude. Sticky notes, notifications, and people are great for this.

12. Focus on the good that others have done on your behalf.

13. Actions lead to gratitude. Smile, say thank you, and write gratitude letters.

14. Be grateful gazer. Be on the lookout for opportunities to feel grateful.

15. Give something up. We tend to adapt to newness; sometimes it's a good idea to give something up so that we can increase our appreciation of it.

16. Think about what your life would be like if a specific positive event wouldn't have happened. Write all the decisions and events that would have been different in your life. For instance, what if you didn't meet your spouse? What if you didn't get the dream job you have now? What if you hadn't stopped a particular bad habit?

Below are two exercises you can use to realize the benefits of gratitude further.

The Naikan Reflection Exercise

The Naikan Reflection is a self-reflection method initially developed in Japan. The entire exercise takes about 10 minutes to complete. Naikan means "looking within." Anyone, with or without religious affiliations, can do this activity. The process involves reflecting on the following three questions while focusing one's attention on a particular person and time.

1. What did this person give to me? (giving)

2. What did I return to this person? (receiving)

3. What trouble did I cause this person? (hurting)

Doing this reflection helps to grow feelings of gratitude and appreciation for others. It also allows people to discover how much they take versus give in personal relationships.

The Silent Gratitude Mapping Exercise

In the workplace, groups can use Silent Gratitude Mapping to connect and create stronger bonds. This exercise takes about 15 minutes. Participants divide into small groups of 3-5. A large sheet of paper and colored markers for each group, or a whiteboard is used.

First, group members reflect on things in their life for which they are grateful. Then, they write them onto the sheet placing a circle around the item. Next, each person draws a line from the circled items and writes a reason why they are grateful for it. For example, if someone writes, 'my home,' she will draw a line connected to it that reads, 'I can relax.' Then, participants take a few minutes to read the various responses and add their lines and reasons.

For example, if a participant also feels grateful for his home, then he would draw a line from that circle to his own reason. During the evaluation phase, the instructor asks the smaller groups to discuss what was learned, and then share with the larger group.

A Take Home Message

Regardless of who you are, or the circumstances of your life, the health benefits of gratitude are undeniable. There are numerous gratitude books, workbooks, apps, and premade journals available, making it easier for everyone to increase their practice of this virtue every day.

What activities will you commit to implementing so that you can realize the health benefits of gratitude?

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our 3 Positive Psychology Exercises for free.

If you wish for more, our Positive Psychology Toolkit© contains over 300 science-based positive psychology exercises, interventions, questionnaires and assessments for practitioners to use in their therapy, coaching or workplace.

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14 Health Benefits of Practicing Gratitude According to Science

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The health benefits of expressing gratitude are many, and some might surprise you. Scholars, spiritual leaders, and scientists throughout history have deliberated on gratitude. More recently, the scientifically-validated benefits of gratitude are better understood. Through the work of leading researchers like Robert Emmons and Martin Seligman, we know that this virtue is more than just saying, "thank you."

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for students

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In November, it's common on social media to show our gratitude each day of the month with hashtags such as #30daysofthanks or #thankful. I love this practice and think it's a great idea to get our children involved, not on social media per se, but in harnessing the attitude of gratitude that will last beyond November. With the idea of building positive habits in mind, I've put together 30 days of journal prompts and acts of kindness to try with your kids.

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Day One:

Journal Prompt - Which holiday is your favorite and why are you grateful for this holiday?

Act of Kindness - Think of a gift you've received recently. Write a thank you note to the giver and either hand-deliver or mail it.

Day Two:

Journal Prompt - Write about something good that happened to you today.

Act of Kindness - Hold the door open for someone.

Day Three:

Journal Prompt - Name 3 people in your life you are grateful for and why.

Act of Kindness - Take a gift to your teacher. Consider an apple or flowers.

Day Four:

Journal Prompt - What talent do you have that you are grateful for?

Act of Kindness - Do a chore without being asked.

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Day Five:

Journal Prompt - What is your favorite season? Why are you grateful for it?

Act of Kindness - Call your grandparent, a favorite aunt or uncle, or another family member you haven't seen in a while.

Day Six:

Journal Prompt - Find something in your house that smells really good. What is it and why are you grateful for the sense of smell?

Act of Kindness - Pick up litter on your street or at a local park.

Day Seven:

Journal Prompt - What is your favorite possession? Who gave it to you? Tell them you're grateful for it.

Act of Kindness - Leave a small treat in the mailbox for the mailman.

Day Eight:

Journal Prompt - What is one thing you love about yourself?

Act of Kindness - Write a thank you note to a coach, teacher, or someone who has been a for you.

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Day Nine:

Journal Prompt - Fill in the blank: I am thankful I learned how to _______.

Act of Kindness - Compliment a friend today. Here are 50 encouraging phrases to help.

Day Ten:

Journal Prompt - What do you like about your town? Why are you grateful to live there?

Act of Kindness - Visit the animal shelter. Take the dogs for a walk, pet the cats, or donate food to the shelter.

Gratitude activity suggestions for days eleven through twenty on page 2...

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In November, it's common to express gratitude each day of the month with hashtags like #thankful on social media. In this spirit of this modern digital tradition, I've put together 30 days of journal prompts and acts of kindness for parents to try with their kids when you're offline.

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Books are an entertaining and relevant way to help a child understand what mindfulness is and why it is important. Through humor, whimsy, adventure, poetry, and pictures, mindfulness concepts come alive. The child can see how mindfulness helps characters appreciate the present moment, become more peaceful, and work through challenges. Whether read independently or shared aloud, these books provide the stimulus for rich conversations and incentives to put practices into action.

The following is a recommended list of books for children. You will find: a fantasy/adventure novel, four picture books about mindfulness, and nine illustrated books on mindfulness practices. Although these books are written for children, each contains many heartfelt messages for older youth and adults.
Click on the book titles for more information or to purchase.
Fantasy/Adventure Novel

Grades 3 - 8

This uplifting fantasy/adventure novel is about growing through pain and the magic that happens when we tune into the wonders of the world around us. Twelve-year-old Zak is going through a difficult time. After moving from place to place with his mom, he had finally settled in and made friends; then his mom lost her job. Once again he is uprooted and is forced to spend the summer on old Aunt Jenny's farm in the middle of nowhere. He is angry and fearful of where his life is heading. Soon he meets a mysterious girl, Tara, who teaches him "It is all in how you perceive things."

Never preachy or boring, this fast moving story touches on issues of love and compassion, the power of attention, taking responsibility, taking care of the environment, and the interconnected energy of everything.

Picture Books: Stories About Mindfulness

Preschool to Grade 4

The combination of playful text and bold, colorful illustrations of these books will appeal to children and make the messages about mindfulness enjoyable and desirable.

The young pigs in this story learn to balance a stressful, hectic life with regular meditation. Fun paintings show piggies in situations kids will identify with-they tease their siblings, get mad, play video games. They learn to "take a break, find a quiet spot and just breathe, breathe, breathe."

At the end of her book, the author offers instructions on how to meditate and describes her experiences with using family meditation in her own life and in her practice. She concludes with a hands-on activity that invites kids to visualize the quieting of their minds as the settling of particles in a muddied jar of water.

A funny story that introduces children to the power of meditation through Peter the Cow, who is having a BAD day. After missing the bus and wiping out his bike, he loses his temper and gets in trouble.

To make matters worse, all the other kids are teasing him, calling him Moody Cow.

His grandfather teaches Peter how to settle his mind and let go of his frustration through a simple and fun exercise.

In this metaphoric tale, Monkey is not so mindful-his Monkey Mind constantly jumps from one thing to another. Then he encounters mysterious and playful Happy Panda.

Panda helps Monkey recognize the simple joy of doing what you're doing while you're doing it.

When Elliot arrives at his neighbor's house after school, he looks for a snack. When offered an apple, he responds a bit dramatically, "An apple! Don't you have any candy?" Carmen, his neighbor, then guides him through eating an apple using all of his senses.

The book concludes with an encouragement to try mindful eating, using all of your senses, with other foods.

Picture Books: Mindfulness Practices

Vivid illustrations in a variety of styles provide instruction and motivation to put into action the mindfulness practices offered in these books.

Simple instructions and clear illustrations invite children to enjoy yoga by assuming playful animal poses. The author sparks their imagination by encouraging them to be the animal-to roar like a lion, flutter like a butterfly, hiss like a snake, and more.

This whimsical and informative picture book guide shows kids-and piggies!-in classic yoga poses, complete with instructions.

Simple mindfulness practices help a child deal with anxiety, improve concentration, and handle difficult emotions.

This gentle book by mindfulness master, Thich Nhat Hanh, introduces a lovely meditation with four ordinary pebbles. The meditation speaks to the heart and appeals to all ages.

Bright illustrations and lyrical text demonstrate ways a child can notice and appreciate the present moment.

The reflective nature of the text and pictures encourages children to stop, listen, and pay attention to what otherwise gets drowned out in our noisy environment.

Beautiful illustrations and descriptive prose invite children to sense, explore, and befriend any feeling with acceptance and equanimity. A wonderful introduction to identifying a felt sense of emotions in the body. Gold Medal, 2013 Mom's Choice Awards.

A winner of fifteen awards, this heartwarming book encourages positive behavior as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation, and love.

The message of this playful and wise book is compassion and loving-kindness between all human beings. The pictures are fun for children and the text is written in rhyme.

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Books are an entertaining and relevant way to help a child understand what mindfulness is and why it is important. Through humor, whimsy, adventure, poetry, and pictures, mindfulness concepts come alive. The child can see how mindfulness helps characters appreciate the present moment, become more peaceful, and work through challenges.

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Mindfulness helps build self-awareness, awareness of others, and awareness of the world. It's about being fully present, paying close attention to the moment we're in. The benefits of mindfulness are numerous. Not just for us but for our kids as well. A mindfulness practice helps alleviate stress, worry, and anger, and improves focus and sleep. Here are some wonderful children's books to introduce mindfulness and meditation to kids.

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Picture Books That Introduce Mindfulness and Meditation to Kids | Brightly

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Mindfulness helps build self-awareness, awareness of others, and awareness of the world. It's about being fully present, paying close attention to the moment we're in. The benefits of mindfulness are numerous. Not just for us but for our kids as well. A mindfulness practice helps alleviate stress, worry, and anger, and improves focus and sleep.

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NüYü, created in 2015, is a student lead group empowering the educational community with mindfulness strategies to combat everyday stress. When we first started our mission to advance the ways schools deal with toxic stress, our school had one of the worst rates of suicide and little to address the problem. We recognized this horrendous issue and, along with support from teachers and administrators, began our crusade against overwhelming stress.

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NüYü, created in 2015, is a student lead group empowering the educational community with mindfulness strategies to combat everyday stress. When we first started our mission to advance the ways schools deal with toxic stress, our school had one of the worst rates of suicide and little to address the problem.

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Our programs are easy to implement, enhance existing SEL and mental health initiatives, and are tailored to your school's unique context and needs.

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Mindful Schools | Mindfulness for Your Students, Teachers, and School Community

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We empower educators to cultivateequitable, joyful learning environments. Watch Our Story >> Nurture Positive and Inclusive Learning Environments Our programs are easy to implement, enhance existing SEL and mental health initiatives, and are tailored to your school's unique context and needs.

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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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Insight Timer - #1 Free Meditation App for Sleep, Relax & More

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The best meditation app with the world’s largest FREE library of more than 190k guided meditations, 17k teachers & the world’s most loved meditation Timer.

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"Just Breathe" by Julie Bayer Salzman & Josh Salzman (Wavecrest Films)

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The goal of mindfulness is to train your mind to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgement or criticism. In this, you can cut out habitual, negative thought patterns and prevent downward spirals of negativity. You further carve a...

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Community Middle School students help peers deal with stress at Wellness Fair

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Community Middle School students help peers deal with stress at Wellness Fair

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The West Windsor-Plainsboro School District has no shortage of high-performing students who cram their schedules with schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

It should come as no surprise that stress is a big part of student life in WW-P, and the statistics bear that out. During the 2015-'16 school year, some 120 students in the district were sent for outside mental health evaluations and 40 were hospitalized due to stress-related issues, according to school officials.

Over the last year, a group of students at Community Middle School took it upon themselves to take on the issue and find ways to help peers deal with stress.

On Jan. 9, Community Middle School's NüYü student group hosted its second annual Wellness Fair, an event where students, parents and teachers were invited to de-stress themselves by practicing mindfulness-the practice of paying more attention to the present moment, which has been scientifically shown to help lower stress hormones and decrease inflammation in the body.

NüYü was created last year by Rebecca McLelland-Crawley, a faculty member at CMS, as a subgroup of the Community Problem Solving program, and in response to the high levels of stress witnessed among students.

The name is derived from the goal of the group, said 8th grader Vivek Panchagnola, a NüYü member. "After the mindfulness sessions and activities, you feel like a new you."

Mindfulness meditation involves sitting and focusing on breathing and thinking about the present, without thoughts or concerns about the past or future.

Students say they initially joined the group because of both their own and their peers' experiences with stress.

"I've seen people break down because they received a 92 percent on an assessment and get frustrated when others weren't pulling their weight in group projects," said group member Maya Mau.

After organizing a school-wide survey later last year, the NüYü group realized the extent of the problem and used the results to motivate their work.

"Our group discovered last year through a survey that more than 80 percent of students were stressed some to all of the time, and most actually used unhealthy coping strategies to try to cope with their stress," Mau said. "That's why our group is aiming to teach people healthy coping strategies-specifically mindfulness. We know that, the longer people stay on autopilot and not in the present moment, the more stressed out people are."

The group now consists of 18 student-organizers, all 8th graders, who run activities throughout the year to help their fellow students tackle stress. Along with the Wellness Fair, NüYü members also run the Panther "PAUSE" Challenge, which consists of twice-weekly meetings discussing ways to practice mindfulness and strategies to alleviate stress.

Through these meetings, the students explored the physical and mental ramifications of stress. Panchagnola said that when people get stressed out, their bodies release cortisol and adrenaline, which takes away blood from things like their immune and digestive systems. Using resources such as The Mindful Teen, by Dzung Vo, videos and personal experience, NüYü members found creative ways to destress. One such method is using a "glitter jar," a container filled with water and some glitter.

"You're supposed to shake the glitter jar up so that the glitter is everywhere, and then meditate. You have to look at it and assume that each of the glitter (pieces) is your thoughts and they're settling down. You're going to feel much better afterwards," Panchagnola said.

Member Panishree Akshinthala talked about the usefulness of this method. "The glitter jar will not tell me the answers on a math test. But going into that test completely confused, completely stressed out just raises the probability of you not doing well."

Akshintala said she believes the quick nature of these activities makes them more accessible and effective. "If you're able to spare those 30 or 45 seconds, that time can be the difference in what kind of day you're having."

After their first year, NüYü members began to understand the importance of their work in the context of their school district.

'I think that if we learn how to deal with stress when we're young, then we can do it in the long term.'

"There's a lack of coping strategies for stress," said NüYü member Jonathon Solomon. "I think that the district should try to teach students on how to deal with stress that come with midterms. I think what (NüYü) is doing for that is very important."

Over the summer, NüYü members presented their findings at the Edcamp-a professional learning experience for teachers-held at Grover Middle School. The students discussed some methods to destress students, like incorporating five minutes of deep-breathing meditation before tests.

At this year's Wellness Fair, the NüYü members combined their experience and activities with outside expertise, McLelland-Crawley said.

The Wellness Fair was educational for both the attendees and the organizers. "I learned many things from the fair," Mau said. "For example, that there is no one right way to do mindfulness, and that different ways appeal to different people."

NüYü students hope to expand their outreach for next year. "We've started advertising in the local community through libraries and bulletin boards, but I think next year we should do that even more," Mau said.

She added that most people attending this year's Wellness Fair were from the WW-P School District, but she wants to reach out further than that in the future.

"This way, we would be reaching even more people in the community and offering healthy coping strategies for people to destress," she said.

Akshintala said that the work they are doing is "quite powerful" because it's student-led and student-run.

"We're taking it upon ourselves to put these things out for the community," she said. "We know that when teachers tell us to do something, it may not have such a strong impact, but as the 18 of us are putting ourselves out there for our peers, it may resonate with them more."

McLelland-Crawley said that the students who have been involved with NüYü for the past two years have matured dramatically and developed much healthier coping mechanisms for their social-emotional wellbeing. They have learned how to take the highs and lows of middle school in stride, she said.

"I think that if we learn how to deal with stress when we're young, then we can do it in the long term," Solomon said.

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Community Middle School students help peers deal with stress at Wellness Fair - Community News

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The West Windsor-Plainsboro School District has no shortage of high-performing students who cram their schedules with schoolwork and extracurricular activities. It should come as no surprise that stress is a big part of student life in WW-P, and the statistics bear that out.

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Mindfulness Is All the Rage—But Does It Work?

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Mindfulness Is All the Rage—But Does It Work?

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Studies suggest that the amount of stress matters, and can impact student academic performance as well. While low levels of stress can boost memory formation, moderate and high levels of stress can impair a student's ability to retrieve memories, making it more challenging to pass tests, write papers, or make a presentation in class.

Can mindfulness-a nonreligious form of meditation that teaches students to breathe, focus, and center themselves in the present moment-help reduce any of the detrimental effects of classroom stress or hectic student schedules? Can it help students learn, leading to gains in academic achievement? Many schools are betting on it, integrating relatively simple mindfulness techniques into the school day.

Mindfulness Reduces Stress

For Rebecca McLelland-Crawley's middle school students, stress was becoming a major problem. When the school district surveyed students a few years ago on their stress levels, the responses were staggering.

"More than 80 percent of the kids at our school feel stressed, most or all of it bad. It's normal to feel stressed-but it's not normal for an 11-, 12-, and 13-year-old to feel toxic levels of stress. So that was how classroom mindfulness came about," said McLelland-Crawley.

To address the problem, her students created their own mindfulness group, NüYü, to learn more about stress and to share healthy coping strategies with their school. Every week, they encourage other students to participate in the Panther "Pause" Challenge, a series of stress-reducing lessons and activities. NüYü students recently held a wellness fair for over 200 parents, students, and community members, at which they introduced yoga stations, stress balls, and glitter jars to participants. They also held workshops on mindful eating and explained the science behind mindfulness.

Now in its second year, the program is expanding to include sixth- and seventh-grade students at the school.

The research suggests that McLelland-Crawley's students are on the right path-mindfulness can be an effective strategy to help students deal with stress. In 2014, a Dutch study found that elementary school students who participated in 30-minute mindfulness sessions twice a week for six weeks exhibited lower levels of stress, higher levels of well-being, and better behavior than their peers.

Mindfulness can be especially helpful for children who experience stress resulting from community violence, poverty, substance use, and trauma. In a 2015 study, students from two low-income, urban middle schools participated in a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program and experienced a range of mental and behavioral benefits, from lower levels of stress and depression to a more positive mood and better ability to cope with challenging situations.

Mindfulness Boosts Academic Performance

In addition to boosting students' emotional and psychological well-being, mindfulness can yield academic benefits by increasing students' ability to self-regulate and focus.

Annie O'Shaughnessy, a high school English teacher in Vermont, spends 10 minutes at the start of class every Monday practicing mindfulness with her students. Using a combination of mindfulness videos and breathing techniques, she helps students handle the stress and anxiety they typically experience during school.

"I teach mindfulness every single year in English class. After teaching it, I can go up to a kid who is about to give a presentation, and I can see that he's in amygdala hijack mode. He's forgotten what he's going to say, and he wants to leave. So I tell him, 'So now it's time to do the breathing.' So he does the square breathing exercise, where he breathes in, holds for four [seconds], breathes out, holds for four. And he's then able to give his presentation," she said.

As improbable as it sounds, taking a few seconds to breathe and focus can translate into academic benefits. In 2015, researchers at the University of British Columbia found that fourth- and fifth-grade students that participated in a 12-week mindfulness program had higher levels of attention, better retention, and 15 percent higher math grades than their peers. This was on top of psychological benefits such as lower levels of depression and increased feelings of optimism.

A 2016 study further explored the connection between mindfulness and cognitive benefits, looking at middle school students in a four-week mindfulness program. Compared with their peers, these students showed significant improvements in working memory capacity. "These results are consistent with the notion that the practice of meditation-which requires sustained attention while simultaneously redirecting attention back to the current experience-is closely related to the function of working memory," researchers wrote in their study.

Academic benefits have been found for children as early as preschool. A 2015 study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison examined a 12-week Kindness Curriculum program that included mindfulness exercises in addition to kindness practices such as empathy, gratitude, and sharing. Compared with their peers, the preschoolers participating in the program earned higher report card grades, in addition to showing more empathy, kindness, and willingness to share.

"Mindfulness is a great tool for learning," explained O'Shaughnessy. "If I want my students to learn, I need their prefrontal cortex, I need their neocortex. I need those parts of their brain online, and in most grades, those parts of their brain aren't going to be online until they've relaxed and done some mindful activities."

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Mindfulness Is All the Rage-But Does It Work?

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Studies suggest that the amount of stress matters, and can impact student academic performance as well. While low levels of stress can boost memory formation, moderate and high levels of stress can impair a student's ability to retrieve memories, making it more challenging to pass tests, write papers, or make a presentation in class.

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Mindful Mondays + is web app based resource in a simple format, meant to foster a habit of mindfulness, grounded in practical tools.

With 22 sequential and 5 bonus modules of content, meant to be explored and integrated one week at a time, it's an easy way to make your own practice a habit, and learn new strategies and activities right along with your students.

Each content module contains an exploration of one topic, along with a short video or audio practice for you, one for your kids, resource links, an interactive worksheet, and related bonus content.

Join us to deepen your understanding of the many ways mindfulness can support the process of teaching and learning, and immediately put what you receive to use. The best part is while you implement the program with your kids, you'll also be getting an education and building internal capacity one week at a time.
This payment is for a 1 year Mindful Mondays + Membership. Each year we update content, and you'll have the option to renew your subscription at a 50% discount when it expires.
$65/year (Annual Renewal 50% off)

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Mindful Mondays + is web app based resource in a simple format, meant to foster a habit of mindfulness, grounded in practical tools. With 22 sequential and 5 bonus modules of content, meant to be explored and integrated one week at a time, it's an easy way to make your own practice a habit, and learn...

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Smiling Mind: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation and the Research Project

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Smiling Mind: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation and the Research Project

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Mind the Bump - Mindfulness vs Mindlessness

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Mind the Bump - Mindfulness vs Mindlessness

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Mind the Bump - Mindfulness and how the brain works

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Mind the Bump - Mindfulness and how the brain works

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When it comes to making changes, we all have one habit in common that holds us back: self-judgement. The neuroscience of mindfulness suggests lasting change requires a softer touch.

While recuperating from spinal fusion surgery at the age of 17, Shauna Shapiro's life changed: from a healthy, active young woman to one confined to a hospital bed, unable to walk.

But she says the mental impact was more difficult-the feelings of fear and loneliness her new body inspired, not being able to do the things she used to.

That drew her to Thailand, where she attended her first meditation retreat.

Shapiro, now an author and professor of psychology at Santa Clara University, has conducted two decades of research into the health benefits of mindfulness. In this Tedx Talk from the fall, she talks about her personal journey to learning mindfulness, as well as how meditation and mindfulness can affect our health:

Tedx Talk Highlights:
How self-judgement wreaks havoc
No matter how hard I tried my mind kept wandering off. And at this point I really started to judge myself. What is wrong with you? You're terrible at this. Why are you even here? You're a fake. And then not only was I judging myself, I start judging everyone, even the monks. Why are they just sitting here, shouldn't they be doing something?

Thankfully a monk from London arrived who spoke English, and as I shared with him my struggles, he looked at me and said, "Oh dear, you're not practicing mindfulness, you're practicing judgment, impatience, frustration." And then he said five words that have never left me: "What you practice grows stronger."

The monk said, "You're not practicing mindfulness, you're practicing judgment, impatience, frustration." And then he said five words that have never left me: "What you practice grows stronger."

How the neuroplasticity of repeated experiences changes the brain
We can actually sculpt and strengthen our synaptic connections based on repeated practice. For example in the famous study of London taxi drivers: the visual spatial mapping part of the brain is bigger, stronger. They've been practicing navigating the 25,000 streets of London all day long.

When you look at the brains of meditators, the areas related to attention, learning, and compassion grow bigger and stronger. It's called cortical thickening: the growth of new neurons in response to repeated practice. What we practice grows stronger.
Three lessons from 20 years of mindfulness research
1) Mindfulness works: It strengthens our immune functioning, it decreases stress, decreases cortisol, helps us sleep better. When we published our first research back in '98, there were only a handful of studies. Now there are thousands of studies showing the beneficial effects of mindfulness.

We have this mistaken belief that if we shame ourselves, if we beat ourselves up, we'll somehow improve.

2) Shame and self-judgment are universal tools for self-improvement: We have this mistaken belief that if we shame ourselves, if we beat ourselves up, we'll somehow improve. Shame doesn't work. Shame never works. It can't work. Physiologically it can't work because when we feel shame, the centers of the brain that have to do with growth and learning shut down. [...] What happens is the amygdala triggers a cascade of norepinephrine and cortisol to flood our system shutting down the learning centers and shuttling our resources to survival pathways. Shame literally robs the brain of the energy it needs to do the work of changing. And worse, when we feel shame, we want to avoid it, so we hide from those parts of ourselves that we're ashamed of-the parts that most need our attention.

Shame literally robs the brain of the energy it needs to do the work of changing. And worse, when we feel shame, we want to avoid it, so we hide from those parts of ourselves that we're ashamed of-the parts that most need our attention.

3) Mindfulness is intentionally paying attention with kindness, and transformation is possible through kind attention: Kindness gives us the courage to look at those parts of ourselves we don't want to see. And second, kindness bathes us with dopamine turning on the learning centers of the brain and giving us the resources we need to change. True and lasting transformation requires kind of attention.

Also in this talk:

Veterans, PTSD, and mindfulness

How mindfulness helped her cope with a difficult divorce

How self-compassion practices are some of the most difficult mindfulness practices

Why We Find It Hard to Meditate

Is Shyness Holding You Back?

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What You Practice Grows Stronger - Mindful

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When it comes to making changes, we all have one habit in common that holds us back: self-judgement. The neuroscience of mindfulness suggests lasting change requires a softer touch. While recuperating from spinal fusion surgery at the age of 17, Shauna Shapiro's life changed: from a healthy, active young woman to one confined to a hospital bed, unable to walk.

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For me, it would be a creamy, sweet-sour lemon tart.

You take the first bite. Very yummy! You take the second bite. Still yummy, maybe a little less yummy than the first bite, but never mind. You glance at the computer and something catches your eye. A Hollywood scandal, a political gaff, a weird and wacky video. You click on it, watch, and continue eating.
Disappearing food!
Suddenly you look down. Where did that treat go? Your fingers are sticky and there's still a trace of flavor on your tongue, so it must have disappeared down the hatch while you weren't looking . . . or smelling, or tasting, or enjoying. Disappointment and dissatisfaction set in. "That one just vanished! I'd better have another one." Next the internal critic voice pipes up "What are you thinking? One treat is enough. You know you're trying to lose weight/eat better/stop grazing/etc."

How is it that food and eating have become such a common source of unhappiness? And why has it occurred in a country with an abundance of food? The fundamental reason for our imbalance with food and eating is that we've forgotten how to be present as we eat. We eat mindlessly.
Food, fat cells and the stomach are not the problem
We decided that the problem was in the food, so we've used chemical technology to take the calories out, the fat out, and to substitute chemical sweeteners and artificial fats. Food is food. It is neither good nor bad. Then we decided the problem was our fat cells, so we liposuctioned them out. Fat cells are just trying to do their job, which is to store energy for lean times ahead or for famine. For most of our evolutionary history, starvation was one snowstorm or drought away. Our fat cells are there to help us survive! When I lived in Africa I discovered that skinny women there have trouble finding spouses. They aren't considered good marriage material ---- they'll get sick and die on you!

Then we decided that the digestive system was the problem, so we staple the stomach or surgically by-pass the small intestine. The digestive system is just trying to do its job, breaking down food, absorbing nutrients and excreting what's not needed. (There's no question that bariatric surgery can be an emergency life-saving measure for some people. It works by forcing people to eat mindfully, causing pain and vomiting if they don't. It is very expensive, has lots of side effects, and is not a long-term solution for the majority of people or for children with out-of-balance eating.)

The problem is not in the food, the fat cells or the stomach and intestines. The problem lies in the mind. It lies in our lack of awareness of the messages coming in from our body, from our very cells and from our heart. Mindful eating helps us learn to hear what our body is telling us about hunger and satisfaction. It helps us become aware of who in the body/heart/mind complex is hungry, and how and what is best to nourish it. Mindful eating is natural, interesting, fun, and cheap.

In this blog I'll explore many aspects of Mindful Eating and Mindless Eating.** I'll include interesting research on eating, cross cultural observations, and personal stories from our Mindful Eating workshops.

I'll also include Mindful Eating "Homework" at the end of each blog. These are suggestions for how to weave mindful eating into your life. People who take our mindful eating workshops really enjoy doing the homework. Don't give yourself a grade. Of course you won't do it perfectly. Just give it a try.
What Is Mindfulness?
Let's start with what Mindfulness is. It is deliberately paying attention, being fully aware of what is happening both inside and outside yourself - in your body, heart and mind - and outside yourself, in your environment. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgement.

The last sentence is very important. In mindful eating we are not comparing ourselves to anyone else. We are not judging ourselves or others. We are simply witnessing the many sensations and thoughts that come up as we eat. The recipe for mindful eating calls for the warming effect of kindness and the spice of curiosity.
What is Mindful Eating?
Mindful eating involves paying full attention to the experience of eating and drinking, both inside and outside the body. We pay attention to the colors, smells, textures, flavors, temperatures, and even the sounds (crunch!) of our food. We pay attention to the experience of the body. Where in the body do we feel hunger? Where do we feel satisfaction? What does half-full feel like, or three quarters full?

We also pay attention to the mind. While avoiding judgement or criticism, we watch when the mind gets distracted, pulling away from full attention to what we are eating or drinking. We watch the impulses that arise after we've taken a few sips or bites: to grab a book, to turn on the TV, to call someone on our cell phone, or to do web search on some interesting subject. We notice the impulse and return to just eating.

We notice how eating affects our mood and how our emotions like anxiety influence our eating. Gradually we regain the sense of ease and freedom with eating that we had in childhood. It is our natural birthright.

The old habits of eating and not paying attention are not easy to change. Don't try to make drastic changes. Lasting change takes time, and is built on many small changes. We start simply.

Pick your mindful eating homework Enjoy your meal! Further Reading and listening:
(1) Try taking the first four sips of a cup of hot tea or coffee with full attention?
(2) If you are reading and eating, try alternating these activities, not doing both at once? Read a page, then put the book down and eat a few bites, savoring the tastes, then read another page, and so on.
(3) At family meals, you might ask everyone to eat in silence for the first five minutes, thinking about the many people who brought the food to your plates.
(4) Try eating one meal a week mindfully, alone and in silence. Be creative. For example, could you eat lunch behind a closed office door, or even alone in our car?

* Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food, by Jan Chozen Bays, with an introduction by Jon Kabat-Zinn, released February 3, 2009 by Shambhala Publishing. (Includes a CD of 14 mindful eating exercises and meditations.)

** Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, by Brian Wansink, published 2006 by Bantam Books. (A very funny look at very interesting research about how we all eat mindlessly.)

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For me, it would be a creamy, sweet-sour lemon tart. You take the first bite. Very yummy! You take the second bite. Still yummy, maybe a little less yummy than the first bite, but never mind. You glance at the computer and something catches your eye.