Hello, APTS:
As we begin to settle into 2024 and look forward to Spring, March is a great month for checking back in with ourselves. One way that we can accomplish this is through mindfulness. "Kabat-Zinn (1994) described mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally” (p. 4). This is a human capacity that was described by the American psychologist William James (1890) as essential for excellence in education" (ACA, 2011). "Mindfulness facilitates empathy through (a) reducing stress, (b) increasing self-compassion, and (c) loosening identification with personal subjective experience." (ACA,2011). In other words, mindfulness is one practice that can be beneficial in a variety of ways specifically in support of positive mental health.
This month, Action For Happiness is encouraging us to incorporate mindfulness as part of our daily routines with the monthly calendar- Mindful March!
Being present in the here and now is a powerful tool. Building the skill and confidence to be mindful can make a world of difference for our students.
Some ideas Action for Happiness suggests are listening to music without doing anything else, picking a day to have less screen time than usual, or taking a simple nature walk.
What's beautiful about mindfulness is that it doesn't take much or anything at all to accomplish it! Think about how you will practice mindfulness this month.
Happy Mindful March,