Have you ever entered a room and then couldn't remember why? Do you sometimes offer people only partial attention and therefore not really listen to what’s being said? These are examples of being on ‘autopilot’. When we’re on autopilot we 'live inside our heads', either worrying about the future or ruminating about the past.
Mindfulness is a way of developing our awareness so that we live in the present moment. Paying more attention to your thoughts, feelings and environment in the present moment can improve your wellbeing. Mindfulness does not stop worry or rumination occurring, but can help us cope with them. When we push feelings and thoughts aside, they can often become stronger or even explode; we need to acknowledge them in a non-judgmental way and learn to manage them.
Here at RISE, we think mindfulness might be a great way of helping children to cope and improve wellbeing. Below are many mindful activities to try at home and we have collated ready-made activities for teachers to do in order to build mindfulness into your school day.
Check out our helpful videos about mindfulness on our YouTube channel.
Browse our mindfulness resources.