MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness for families.
By your School Counsellor, Caroline Brennan, RCC, CCC.
School is in session!
Families have a LOT on their plates right now, and let’s be honest, things are changing almost hourly; it is enough to make anyone’s head spin! You are NOT ALONE. We are all in this together, and we will all get through this. This weekend, let’s look at the different ways that mindfulness can help us SLOW DOWN, learn to just notice and not react, and ride the ever-flowing waves of change, mindfully.
Be Here Now
Our thoughts race all over the map. “What am I doing right now?” Is a way of bringing your thoughts gently back to the present.
Our minds ARE full. Many might tell me that they are parents, hence a perpetually full mind :) and they are right! So much to consider and plan. It is ok to just focus on NOW.
Take a moment. Focus on the breath going into your nose and mouth. Feel it flow past your throat, into your lungs. Feel your lungs expand and then release. Repeat. Well done. You brought your mind back to the present. :)
What IS MINDFULNESS, really?
As mentioned above, mindfulness is really just about learning to notice the clutter, as opposed to being swept away by the clutter. Imagine a very messy child’s room. Easy to do when we have kids who play with their toys in the room. Maybe we enter the room to tell them that dinner is ready. In the here and now, our “plan” is to tell our child about dinner. But then we see the clutter. Everywhere. When we just notice the clutter, it triggers us less, because we are existing along side it. We can still complete our task of telling our child that dinner is ready. When we are swept away by the clutter, it is now preventing us from noticing what is happening in the here and now, because it is triggering us, distracting us, taking our peace. We might look around at all of the toys and the messy bed, and every single piece of LEGO on the floor, and start thinking about how we will manage to tidy all of that mess before bed when we have X, Y, Z still to do, and we really wanted to read a magazine, and get the laundry done, and prepare lunches for tomorrow, and, and, and...and we leave the room without having told our child about dinner.
Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower: An Animation
Keep it short! You don’t need to practice for hours. One minute of mindfulness is a good start!
Mindful Minute: Quick Mindfulness Meditation Exercise for Kids by GoZen!
Counsellor Keri has wonderful resources for your families! Here, she lists the reasons why Mindfulness is helpful for your children.
Last, March, as Covid hit and our schools went online, I created a website with resources broken into age groups, so that parents and students could access age-appropriate supports and tools to support their mental health. Above, is one of the resources I have included in my website. There are articles, videos and printable resources on mindfulness, that can be used with the whole family! Below, you can see how the categories are broken down, to make searching for tools for your younger (or older) child, easier!
Select your age group.
Select the general topic you require.
Click on the different resources available!