Destressing by

Beyond the classroom

lclick2 — 2024-02-29 14:26:15 UTC

There are many ways to engage in mindfulness in the classroom as well as outside the classroom.

A few ideas on how to be mindful outside the classroom are:

1 - swimming or floating in water

2 - walking

3 - drinking tea

4 - gazing

5 - guided meditation

6 - stretching

7 - hiking

8 - breathing techniques

For more information on these topics visit https://www.hawaiipacifichealth.org/healthier-hawaii/live-healthy/8-mindfulness-exercises-that-also-reduce-stress/

Breathing - the essence of life

lclick2 — 2024-02-29 14:34:51 UTC

Practicing breathing techniques calms the nervous system which in turn leads to physiological changes such as a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure. The techniques also reduce the stress response leading to a reduction of stress hormones.

One practice is the 4-7-8 breathing technique. You inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds then exhale for 8 seconds.

This method can be used in any of my classes prior to a presentation, an exam, or a day where the students are to engage in group work. This will help them relax and focus hopefully leading to deeper discussion

https://www.healthline.com/health/4-7-8-breathing#How-does-the-4-7-8-breathing-technique-work?

Noticing the details

lclick2 — 2024-02-29 14:49:16 UTC

As the saying goes "its not the destination but the journey that matters". Many of us rush from place to place, eating, talking on the phone, or thinking about the next day. We pay little attention to the small things in life. The items that bring a sense of wonder, peace, happiness.

Health 101 has a chapter on CAM practices and this is a central theme for the Holistic Health course. In either course, I could place a few items around campus to see if the students notice them on their walk.

I could also ask the students to take a 5 minute walk around campus then jot down items they noticed while walking. Next, I could explain meditative walking. Then ask the students to complete the same walk and write a new summary of what they noticed. We could compare the 2 essays and discuss how different the experiences were for each student. I would finish with them evaluating the benefit of the practice.

https://www.mindful.org/daily-mindful-walking-practice/