Learn About Mindfulness
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is doing one thing at a time.
This is less stressful for our brains and leads to better learning. Mindfulness is the idea of paying attention to the present moment--not thinking about the past or what may be coming in the future.
Mindfulness is not operating on auto-pilot or multi-tasking.
Doing things automatically and without intention, or trying to do too many things at once may feel like you're being efficient, but our brains can truly only focus on one thing at a time.
Why should you practice mindfulness?
Mindfulness has been shown to positively impact academic performance. Improvements include:
- Expanded ability to manage school-related stress
- Enhanced cognitive flexibility, creativity, and problem solving
- Increased engagement, motivation, and enjoyment of learning
- Greater awareness and regulation of attention and focus, resulting in enhanced comprehension, memory retention, and recall
Mindfulness and How the Brain Works
Mindfulness: Youth Voices
"When you look at the brains of meditators, the areas related to attention, learning, and compassion grow bigger and stronger. It's called cortical thickening: the growth of new neurons in response to repeated practice. What we practice grows stronger. - Daniel Goleman
