Is life overwhelming you? Do you find that you are constantly busy? Do you experience stress, have trouble sleeping, or have difficulties focusing? Chances are, you do. The constant go, go, go and the need to do more can be taxing on your mental health. However, being mindful and focusing on your own well-being can alleviate stress and decrease anxiety.
The concept of mindfulness has received a lot of attention in recent years, yet many people struggle with understanding exactly what being mindful means. As people are inundated with information and a barrage of communication (texts, emails, social media messages, etc.), it can be difficult to quiet our brains and fully attend to what is happening around us. The need for mindfulness is, therefore, paramount. Simply put, mindfulness is the ability to be fully present, possessing an awareness of what we are doing and where we are. It’s the practice of returning, over and over again, to the present moment. People who are mindful don’t overreact to their surroundings or circumstances, and they are not easily overwhelmed. The idea that mindfulness is something that one has to learn is a fallacy. As humans, being mindful should be innate. However, with our ever-increasing busyness, we seem to have forgotten how to be mindful. Mindfulness is a way of life. Once you begin to deliberately slow down, become aware of your surroundings, and quiet the chatter, possibilities open up. Practicing mindfulness impacts upon our lives in numerous positive ways. When we’re mindful, we reduce stress, increase our ability to focus on tasks and on others, and become more compassionate, resilient, and adaptable human beings. Mindfulness boosts creativity by helping you be open to new perspectives and possibilities that you may have previously rejected. Failing to practice mindfulness can lead to negative consequences, such as allowing our emotions to get the better of us and overreacting to stressful situations. What can you do to be more mindful? Start by observing and focussing upon the present moment, without judgement. Set time aside daily to be alone and practice being mindful, even if only for a few minutes. Yoga is an excellent tool for practicing mindfulness, as you become more in tune with your body and mind during the process. Meditation is a major tool used to practice mindfulness. Meditation practitioners focus on the breathing. By focusing on your breath, you are able to reduce brain chatter. If you lose your focus, don’t be discouraged; just come back to the breath. This practice of focusing on the breath can have a positive impact on other areas of your life, too. Through meditation, you hone the ability to focus, whether that’s on tasks you need to complete or on a conversation you are having with someone else. If you are interested in trying meditation, but are unsure of where to begin, there are many tools to support you. Youtube has many great guided meditations to take you through the process. Simply find one to try, get comfortable, eliminate distractions, close your eyes, and push play. Apps like Headspace, Calm, Buddhify, The Mindfulness App, and Smiling Mind are helpful tools that include guided meditations, reminders to meditate daily, and calming sounds and music. Mindfulness in schools has gained a great deal of traction lately as more and more students are experiencing higher stress levels. A small amount of stress is healthy, as it can drive us to complete tasks and achieve, however high levels of stress can produce adverse effects. Students who experience high levels of stress may have difficulty regulating their moods and emotions, sleeping, and paying attention in class. They may experience increased anxiety, frustration, decreased productivity and creativity, and changes in their eating patterns. Studies have found that students who have learned and practiced mindfulness techniques at school show improvements in behavior, such as increased self-control, participation, attention in class, and well-being. Many students experienced improved cognitive outcomes and social-emotional skills as well. The benefits of mindfulness are hard to dismiss. By taking a little time each day to quiet ourselves and be present in the moment, we can make significant changes in our overall sense of well-being. How will you start being mindful today? Resources: www.mindful.org www.mindfulschools.org
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Student Council is an excellent opportunity for students to take leadership at school. Ms. Michelle and Ms. Miriam are the advisors for our Primary Student Council this year, and they work with a great group of students! This week I interviewed a few of them to learn more about how they felt about being in Student Council. All of the students love being a part of the Student Council, and they unanimously cited a desire to 'make ACG School Jakarta a better place' as the reason why they joined. Shyam in Year 6 says he joined Student Council because he's "never been in anything like it before and never been in leadership, so [he] wanted to join." There were a variety of great reasons that students enjoy being a part of the Student Council. Tomoya in Year 5 and Mookyung in Year 4 like "having meetings." Jasmine in Year 6 says that she enjoys it because they "accept your ideas on what we can do and [because] it allows you to take action." Skye in Year 3 likes that the Student Council allows her to "help people be more mature and do the right thing." Marsha in Year 5 loves that she "can help other people in different ways through activities, listening to ideas, and giving information." Haris in Year 4 likes to "help the school. Friends like new things, especially the toys in the sandpit since we added new things. The sandpit is calming." Kenneth in Year 3 enjoys being a part of Student Council since it allows him to "make students more comfortable and confident at ACG." When asked about the goal of the Student Council, the majority of the students said it was to make the school a better place. Kaisha in Year 6 says it's also to "help students in need." The Primary Student Council has achieved a few things already this year, with more plans as the year progresses. One of their accomplishments was getting new and improved toys for the sandpit. They first surveyed the students in their classes to see what they wanted, ordered the toys, and then delivered them to the students at recess time. As you can see from the pictures above, it was a huge hit!
Other events include the Primary Movie Afternoon earlier this week, which raised nearly 2 million Rupiah for charity! The students also organized the BOSF and Halloween dress-up days last month. I am looking forward to seeing what new events and ideas the Student Council comes up with in the future! Thank you to the Student Council for all that you do for our school! |
AuthorSMs Kesler loves the PYP! Teaching and learning through inquiry fosters enthusiasm and life-long learning. Archives
June 2018
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