Mindfulness can help kids do better at everything from paying attention and focusing on schoolwork to getting on better with other people. This article for kids has tips on building this important skill.
What does Being Mindful Mean
What Exactly Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness entails paying complete attention to something. It entails slowing down in order to fully appreciate what you’re doing.
Rushing or multitasking are the polar opposites of being mindful. You take your time when you’re mindful. You’re concentrating in a relaxed, easy manner.
Sometimes mindfulness comes naturally. Assume you’re about to take a foul shot in basketball. You carefully place your feet along the line. You raise your eyes to the hoop and feel the ball in your hands. You bounce the ball a few times, taking your time. You block out all other noises and take your shot. Yes, swoosh! Very well done.
That calm focus, that way of paying attention to what you’re doing, taking your time, relaxing — that’s mindfulness! And being mindful has simply allowed you to take your best shot.
Why Do People Need Mindfulness?
Being mindful allows you to:
pay more attention
be less easily distracted
find out more
keep your cool in stressful situations
Try not to get too worked up about things.
instead of rushing, slow down
better listen to others
more patience
improve your relationship
feel better and have more fun
This is a superpower, believe it or not! Being mindful benefits people in almost every aspect of their lives. Learning to be mindful when you’re young allows you to get really good at it and use it all the time.
How Does Mindfulness Work?
To improve at mindfulness, you must practice it. It takes time and effort to train the mind. The more practice you put in, the better you will become.
If you practice mindfulness exercises, being mindful will become second nature when you need it in your daily life. This can be useful when you’re stressed, have to do something difficult, or need to focus your attention. It’s similar to learning to play the piano. Every time you practice, you are training yourself to become a better player.
You train your attention when you practice mindfulness. According to research, practicing mindfulness can improve attention for almost everyone, including people with ADHD or who believe they have difficulty paying attention.
How Do I Get Started?
Mindfulness can be practiced by anyone. It’s simple and only takes a few minutes per day.
Here are the fundamental steps:
Place yourself in a relaxed, comfortable position. Choose something to concentrate on, such as a word you repeat in your head or your breathing.
Assume you decided to concentrate on your breathing. Breathe normally while paying attention to your breathing. You can close your eyes if you want. Simply notice each breath as you take it in and out. Pay attention in a natural way — on purpose, but not compelled.
Mindfulness can be practiced by anyone. It’s simple and only takes a few minutes per day.
Here are the fundamental steps:
Place yourself in a relaxed, comfortable position. Choose something to concentrate on, such as a word you repeat in your head or your breathing.
Assume you decided to concentrate on your breathing. Breathe normally while paying attention to your breathing. You can close your eyes if you want. Simply notice each breath as you take it in and out. Pay attention in a natural way — on purpose, but not compelled.
Continue to breathe, relax, and pay close attention to your breathing. Do you have a sense of where the air tickles your nostrils? Do you notice how your breath moves your body gently? Can you notice how your belly or chest moves as you breathe? Every time your mind wanders, return your attention to your breathing. Try to keep this up for 5 minutes.
That’s all! There are numerous other ways to practice mindfulness, such as mindful eating or mindful walking. Try focusing on different things to help you practice training your attention.
Why Do People Need Mindfulness?
pay more attention
be less easily distracted
find out more
keep your cool in stressful situations
Try not to get too worked up about things.
instead of rushing, slow down
better listen to others
more patience
improve your relationship
feel better and have more fun
This is a superpower, believe it or not! Being mindful benefits people in almost every aspect of their lives. Learning to be mindful when you’re young allows you to get really good at it and use it all the time.
