Since some stress is unavoidable, it is crucial that we educate our kids on using mindfulness techniques to relieve stress, enhance focus, and boost overall well-being in our world that continues to demand quicker action. To understand what mindfulness entails, it is simply the ability to stay aware of what is going on at a given point in time by observing both thoughts and feelings without passing any form of judgment.
Importance of Mindfulness for Children
- Less Stress and Onset of Anxiety: One of the most essential aspects of minimizing stress for children is through mindfulness training as it allows them to have a more serene state of mind.
- **Better Concentration: **It has been noted that American kids are more distracted than ever due to social media, however, with regular minds training kids are able to concentrate more effectively.
- Better Emotional Management: Through self-awareness children can notice their emotions which will improve their understanding in how to regulate their emotions.
- Effective Communication: To be an effective communicator a child must possess proper emotional responsiveness and self- coherence, and training them mindfulness will help eventually begin developing these characteristics.
Mindfulness Activities for Kids
Here are a few exercises that you may find helpful in training your child on how to focus:
- **Focusing on the Breath: **
- Sit your kid in a steady place and tell them to concentrate on how air is inhaled and exhaled.
- Explicitly make them aware of how their breath is perceived in their nostrils.
- They can also be instructed to count or visualize the color of their breath.
- Body Scan/Meditation:
- Refrain from letting your child be idle throughout the exercise; starting from the child’s toes, the feet, legs, arms, belly, neck, face etc. can all be concentrated upon.
- As they do this, urge them to look out for sensations like warmth, coolness or tingling.
- Mindful Eating:
- Kids sometimes are not able to tell the difference in vegetables and broccoli. Ask your child to differentiate in taste, aroma and soft texture of the bread.
- Ask them to relish each spoon or lift their finger in a more soft and delightful way.
- Nature Mindfulness:
- When going for a stroll with your kid, remind them of the wild world outside.
- Ask them to feel the sound made by nature, touch from the wind and view eyeballing plants and trees.
- Mindful Listening:
- Ask your child to listen carefully to another friend or an adult talking, keeping their mouth closed.
- Ask them to emphasize more on the tone of voice used by the person speaking and the actual words that he or she chooses.
Letting your child combine simple daily challenges with the requirements of mindfulness exercises helps them equip themselves with tools to probably cope with stress, sharpen focus, and help lead a better life.