10 Ways to Incorporate Daily Mindfulness Into Your Classroom

Incorporating regular mindfulness into your curriculum is a fantastic strategy to encourage social and emotional development in your classroom. Mindfulness allows students to pause, meditate, and reflect on their day or a specific moment. The regular moments allow students to take their minds off books and other classroom activities.

Some benefits of incorporating mindfulness include increasing your students’ alertness and focus. Here are ten ways to incorporate daily mindfulness into your classroom:

1. Mindful Breathing

Mindful breathing helps calm the mind and body when students feel stressed or anxious. The breaths could be deep or shallow, depending on the situation or atmosphere. When the atmosphere is tense, then deep breaths are necessary to make the students easy.

When the students feel stressed, shallow breathing can bring a sense of calm into the classroom. You can coordinate with the students to ensure they’re all in sync.

2. Journaling

Encourage your students to keep a journal in class. Journaling helps students put down their thoughts and emotions on paper. The process gives them clarity, and they can identify their feelings on good and bad days.

Ensure you set aside time for students to take a break and journal. Let them know that they are free to write whatever comes to mind. The process should be free and easy.

3. Walking Meditation

Indoor classes and activities become monotonous after some time. The students need some free and peaceful time outside the classroom. Walking meditations are more effective in bigger spaces where the students can move freely.

You can look for a place outside the classroom where all your students can meditate peacefully. Coordinate the activity by allowing the students to take deep breaths before meditation.

4. Sound Meditation

Sound meditation is an activity that needs a quiet environment. The students must stay in comfortable positions to concentrate. Ask the students to close their eyes and soak in the moment. After the students settle, play something calm and peaceful. Bells, chimes, or other calm audio work well for sound meditation.

5. Check-In Circle

Schools and classrooms are social settings where students need to interact. Start by creating small groups either randomly or using specific criteria. Allow the students to familiarize themselves with each other. Then, teach them about check-in circles.

Check-in circles allow students in a group to know each other on a deeper level. You can set aside a time of day when group members mingle and get to know how everyone is doing. Cohesion and accountability help the students care for and be mindful of each other.

6. Yoga

Sitting for an extended period in the classroom may be exhausting for some children. Some students can even experience pain and anxiety. Setting aside time where students can stretch is healthy for all students.

7. Practicing Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is a way to ensure that students remain positive. Many negative and discouraging things happen in life, and one of the ways to stay happy and content is by practicing gratitude.

Before you start a lesson, let the students know what you are grateful for in life. Also, give them a chance to state or write down the things and people they are grateful for in their life.

8. Collaborative Art

Art is a great way to calm the mind. Collaborative art is even better because students combine their efforts to make magical art pieces. The canvas used has to be large enough to accommodate several students. They can all come up with a theme or concept and enjoy themselves. The exercise will calm their minds and make them peaceful throughout the day.

9. Stillness Challenge

School and classroom activities can be overwhelming. Most times, the students have to think hard and move around a lot to stay on track. Some students become so preoccupied that they forget to stay still and breathe. 

Before you start a lesson, let all the students settle down. You can then ask them to put their hands on their desks and sit upright. Tell them to close their eyes and stay still for some time. Let them know that they don’t have to overthink. The stillness allows students to be and feel present.

10. Emotion Naming

For this activity, ask your students to express their feelings. The exercise makes them fully aware of what they feel.

Final Thought

Incorporating mindfulness into your classroom makes the students alive and active participants in their education. Strive to incorporate these activities to promote conscious mindfulness.

Written by Steve Ndar
Education World Contributor
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