The word “mindfulness” is often mentioned in conversations about mental health and well-being, but what exactly does mindfulness mean and why is it important for our kids?

What is mindfulness?

The American Psychological Association defines mindfulness as an awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings (APA). The purpose of mindfulness is described as helping people learn to avoid destructive or automatic habits and responses by learning to observe their thoughts, emotions, and experiences without judgment or reaction.

Many people associate mindfulness with meditation, but while meditation and other practices and activities may promote mindfulness, it’s not equivalent to or synonymous with them. You don’t need to be meditating to be mindful.

The ability to be mindful is a quality we already possess; it’s just a case of learning the skills that allow us to access this state of being.

Why is mindfulness important?

Mindfulness is a self-regulatory process that focuses on bringing awareness to each moment. Research has confirmed that for kids, mindfulness can:

• Improve resilience. Mindfulness has been shown to mitigate the effects of bullying and teasing.
• Reduce stress. Mindfulness practices have been found to reduce stress and anxiety levels.
• Regulate emotions. Emotional regulation is shown to not only reduce stress and anxiety but also protect future mental health.
• Improve memory. Working memory (the part of your memory that temporarily holds pieces of information and is responsible for reasoning and decision-making) is improved with regular mindfulness.
• Increase focus. Regular mindfulness practices improve focus, attention, and concentration, even in kids diagnosed with ADHD.
• Improved mental health and well-being. Mindful kids are better able to regulate their emotions and reactions, which, in turn, improves overall well-being.
• Better social skills. Children who practice mindfulness have been shown to have improved social skills.

Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think.

— Buddha

What is mindfulness for kids?

The principles of mindfulness are the same for both adults and children. It’s all about instilling a state of mind that allows you to pay full attention to the moment you are in.

It means slowing down and noticing what you’re doing and what’s going on around you. It is about becoming aware of each task—it is the opposite of rushing or multitasking. When your kids are mindful, they are fully present in the moment and focused on whatever it is they’re doing.

This video gives a short answer to the question “What is mindfulness?”

Which is better: mindfulness or multitasking?

While our world often requires the ability to multitask (carry out more than one task at a time), research has shown that multitasking lowers IQ, shrinks the grey matter of the brain, and lowers productivity, whereas mindfulness practices increase grey matter and improve areas of the brain associated with learning and memory processes, emotional regulation, and awareness processing.

Therefore, while there may be a need to multitask at times, mindfulness is a practice that should be encouraged from a young age.

What is mindfulness meditation?

As mentioned earlier, meditation is a practice associated with mindfulness. While mindfulness is a state of being, meditation is a tool that can help us become more mindful and self-aware.

In this video, the presenter talks about mindfulness and meditation and walks the viewer through a basic mindfulness meditation routine. This is a great first introduction for kids to the idea of “sitting with yourself” and noticing what you are feeling, both physically and emotionally, without any judgment.

Introducing mindfulness activities to your kids

If you believe that your kids would benefit from practicing mindfulness, there are a number of ways to introduce the basic principles into their day. Before you begin, start by ensuring that you have your own mindfulness practice established.

To teach your kids mindfulness in an authentic way, you should ideally be practicing it yourself. Remember to keep it simple and let your child be your guide. If they are not interested or ready, wait and try again another day.

Finally, be realistic about the outcome you are expecting. Mindfulness is not a magic tool for good behavior. While calm, regulated behavior is a result of mindfulness, the ultimate purpose should be to teach your children to develop their awareness of both their environment and their own inner experiences.

Some ways of introducing mindfulness to kids include:

• Using a bell, a chime, or a tone on your phone, allow your child to listen to the sound for 30 seconds to a minute.
• Allow your child to focus on their breathing. They can lie down and place a hand across their belly. As they take slow, deep breaths, they can feel their hand moving up and down as they inhale and exhale.
• Take a slow walk in your neighborhood or park. Pay attention to what is around you. What do you see, hear, smell, and feel?
• Encourage your child to become aware of how they are feeling. Explain to them that they will not always be able to control their feelings, but they can control how they respond to those feelings.

You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.

— Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness activities

Learning to be mindful should be a fun and positive experience. Here are 4 suggestions of activities to promote mindfulness:

1. Bubble blowing. Let your child blow large bubbles using deep, slow breaths. Encourage them to focus on each bubble as it forms, detaches, and floats away or bursts. For younger kids, you can use a pinwheel for this activity, which improves focus and concentration and encourages stillness and observation.
2. Balloon play. The aim of this game is to keep the balloon in the air using slow, deliberate movements and touching the balloon as little as possible. This activity promotes intentional movement and gentleness and improves proprioception.
3. Tactile bag game. Place small, differently textured objects in a bag. Let your child reach in and take hold of an object. They should describe how it feels (texture, shape, weight) without removing the item from the bag. This game engages a child’s focus and curiosity.
4. Taste test. Using small samples of food, invite your child to close their eyes and then describe what they are tasting. Is the food crunchy, chewy, sweet, or salty? Does it have a smell? After doing the activity with eyes closed, let the child examine each item of food and describe how it looks. This activity is best done with food your child likes. Introducing food that is spicy or unpleasant will lead to distrust and discourage similar future activities.
5. Use of mindfulness toys. For instance, this Rainbow Mindfulness Kit provides kids with sensorial experiences that keep them centered and calm. Kits like these and the tactile bag should be used under supervision as they may contain small parts, thus posing a choking hazard.

In conclusion

Your child is never too young to begin engaging in practices and activities that promote mindfulness. By teaching your kids the benefits of self-awareness and awareness of the moment from an early age, you can improve their physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

Relevant reading

• Breathing Is My Superpower is a beautifully illustrated rhyming book for kids aged 3 and over. The story teaches 5 simple breathing techniques to help kids remain in the moment and regulate their feelings.
• Happy: A Beginners Book of Mindfulness by Nicola Edwards is ideal as a bedtime read. It encourages children to explore their senses and discover the path to mindfulness.
• Mindfulness for Kids in 10 Minutes a Day is full of simple breathing exercises, meditation routines, and activities to help kids develop mindful habits.