5 tips to inculcate Mindfulness in Kids

Mindfulness is not a new concept but has been ingrained into the culture of Hinduism and Buddhism cultures from a very long time. But this concept has been forgotten by many, and people got busier in this competitive world, and they started multi-tasking. Some people also keep rushing from one task to the other without taking a minute break. Only recently, this mindfulness concept came back into the picture and is gaining more and more popularity. As we started inducing stress into our children’s lives, it has reached an imperative stage where we need to start inculcating mindfulness in kids as well.

What exactly is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness can be easily described by this age-old idiom “Stop and Smell the Roses“. It means to pause, live in the present moment, and enjoy it. In today’s modern and busy world, no one takes a minute for themselves as too many thoughts keep clouding their mind. Hence they are not able to relax or rewind.

The same goes for the kids as well. Right from toddler age, kids are becoming busier these days with many scheduled activities and playdates arranged by well-meaning parents. Hence, they are not even getting time to savor their time or food.

Practicing mindfulness doesn’t mean we need to stop everything, sit down, meditate, or do some guided breathing activities. The instructors suggest those activities so that we will get used to sitting down for a couple of minutes without rushing to another place.

Actual mindfulness is a habit or practice which allows us to savor the present moment. Like enjoying every single bite of our meal instead of gulping it down while watching the T.V., The key focus is to enjoy the moment without any negativity or judgments on the process/people. If we can inculcate this process, we can be mindful of every activity we do.

Why should we teach Mindfulness to Kids?

Some parents wonder what are the benefits of this new term Mindfulness, why we should be teaching our kids to be Mindful. Isn’t this term really big for our kids to understand? Here, we need to understand that this concept of Mindfulness has been practiced by our ancestors and forefathers for ages. Unless they had seen the benefits of this practice, they wouldn’t be using it, right? Here is a list of a few benefits that I could think about being Mindful of.

Mindfulness Improves the Focus.

Most of the parents complain that their kids don’t have any focus on their studies or they don’t really concentrate on their goals. The basic underlying reason for this is that the kids are used to moving from one task to the other in a jiffy that they don’t really concentrate on the tasks. Following mindfulness practices like meditation and guided breathing improves the kids’ concentration levels and focusing skills, and hence the kids can learn better.

Mindfulness removes Stress:

Stress is the buzzword these days, which impacts everyone, irrespective of their age and gender. Young toddlers are also becoming victims of this buzzword. Mindfulness removes or reduces stress and depression and releases all the tension that’s built into a person’s system due to unnecessary worrying and anxieties.

Mindfulness gives better control over the Emotional Management:

Practicing mindfulness techniques have shown to not only reduce anxiety but also improve emotional regulation. When the mind and body are relaxed, we can identify the underlying causes for various emotions, which can be addressed easily.

Mindfulness builds the relationships

Practicing mindfulness techniques helps the person listen better, as they know when to pause and stop multitasking. That will help them to be more patient and understand others better. So being mindful will also act as the stepping stone for building healthier relationships with others.

How to teach Mindfulness to Kids?

There are many ways and techniques to teach Mindfulness to kids. Here are the few techniques I use with my kid and in the group sessions I conduct these days to inculcate Mindfulness in Kids.

Teach the Mindfulness concept using stories: As kids do get attracted to stories, we can use the storybooks that are already available in the market or make up our own stories to teach the concept of Mindfulness to Kids.

Introduce them to enjoy their senses: As we rush through the various tasks, we forget to really appreciate the beauty around us. There are a lot of activities like tasting a raisin, feeling the goodies in a bag, keeping their eyes closed, hearing the rain or bell sound, etc, which will make the kids use their different senses and also enjoy them.

Guided Breathing techniques: There are a lot of guided breathing techniques that will enable them to experience different feelings and also feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Using these techniques will make the person become aware of the air flowing in and out of their body. So they will become aware of their physical self and will understand how their body will react in different situations.

Practice Muscle relaxation techniques: The progressive muscle relaxation techniques are meant to observe different muscles and parts of the body. While the parents guide them with the script, the kids are asked to tighten and relax various muscles to relieve the body’s tension and anxiety.

Observing everyday objects and journaling: Journaling the daily activities will help the kids to understand how they spend their time in various activities. Observing and drawing a picture of everyday objects will let the child perceive those things differently. This heightens their sense of observation.

As this blog is intended to discuss the importance of Mindfulness and 5 important tips to inculcate mindfulness in kids, I am not giving the list of the activities that I follow here. I will be coming up with another blog shortly on the same.