Practicing mindfulness to boost self-esteem

In a world where we are always on the alert, where everything happens at once, it is more than urgent to put all this aside and rest our minds and bodies. If we adults need this time, so do the little ones. We need to enjoy the present without pressure.?

Reconnecting with yourself, without charges and pressure, is the basis of mindfulness. This technique was developed at the University of Massachusetts in 1970 as part of a stress reduction program. No religious character is associated with the practice, nor is it exclusive to one age range, so it is an excellent exercise that teachers and pupils, parents and children can do together.

Practicing it, we help our minds release distractions, intrusive thoughts, and reflective processes that can cause anxiety, stress, or discomfort. We focus solely on the present moment, focusing on ourselves.

The purpose is to allow practitioners to observe their entire body and mind, as well as how their environment affects their senses and emotions. Focusing on the rhythm and depth of the breath, the heartbeat, and releasing thoughts, a feeling of freedom and fullness remains.

Through self-reflection, one can attain self-awareness which can aid in regulating emotions, promoting mental and physical well-being, building resilience, and enhancing one's capacity to tackle challenges. It can help parents and caregivers, too, by promoting happiness and relieving stress. Other positive aspects of practicing mindfulness are the reduction of insomnia and cognitive flexibility (the ability to think outside the box).

Focusing on school life, the technique develops skills such as paying attention and remembering information, shifting back and forth between tasks, and behaving appropriately with others. These abilities are known as executive functions and are essential for more advanced tasks like planning, reasoning, problem-solving, and positive social relationships.

How to practice mindfulness? (tips from NYT article)

• Lie down somewhere comfortable. Let your arms and legs fall to the ground. Close your eyes gently.
• Start to notice how your body changes with each breath you take.?
• With each breath: breathing in, noticing your belly move, and with each breath out, noticing something that went well today.
• Breathing in, focus on your belly moving. Breathing out, picture something that makes you proud of yourself. If nothing comes to mind, that sometimes happens. If that's how you feel, imagine what you'd wish for yourself instead.
• Breathing in, notice your belly move. And now, breathing out, picture someone who makes you happy.
• As you end this practice, take a few deep breaths, and start to wiggle your arms and legs. Pause and decide what you'd like to do next.

Teachers can promote mindfulness by organizing weekly sessions that don't require a significant financial investment. Many apps offer guidance to assist concentration. You can employ standing bells to transition between the phases. This can also be an excellent opportunity for parents to spend quality time with their families and strengthen those bonds.

By teaching and practicing mindfulness, we are instrumentalizing children and young people to build their self-esteem and face the world with compassion, respect, and calm. In doing so, they develop the ability to find the inner tools to build the confidence needed to deal with the challenges of growing and maturing and dealing with the discomfort of moments of stress and frustration.