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.
![What is mindfulness anyway? - Four Seasons Veterinary Specialists](https://4seasonsvetspecialists.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/mindfulness.jpg)
![Mindfulness Quotes When You Need to Quiet Your Mind | The Healthy](https://www.thehealthy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/mindfulness-quotes09.jpg?fit=680%2C680)
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.
![](https://positive.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ezgif.com-resize-20.png)
![](https://positive.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ezgif.com-resize-21.png)
Happy Mindful March,