“Mindfulness” is about being in touch with the present moment — paying attention to what is happening now – your thoughts, your feelings and your way of being.
Practicing mindfulness is a powerful tool for creating a sense of well-being, for managing stress, and for creating overall good health. Therefore, it is an important skill to teach our kids.
There are three things to teach your kids about being mindful:
First teach them to look for the “grungies”. Grungies are “negative feelings” such as fear, anxiety, frustration, and worry which often come from thoughts about the past or concerns about the future. These thoughts steal the present moment. Teach your kids that whenever they feel the grungies, they can regain focus on the present moment by taking three slow deep breaths. This “time out” enables them to become mindful of their current thoughts and to gently change their thoughts to something that support them.
Second teach them to be mindful of their self-talk. What they say to themselves is more important than what anyone else says to them. Supportive self-talk is the foundation for creating a peaceful state of mind, building positive self-esteem, and developing powerful self-confidence.
Third, teach them to be mindful when they are with others. Every time they are with someone they leave a “mark” — either a “gold heart” or a “grungy mark” depending on how they treat them. Show your kids that when they choose kindness and use manners they leave “gold hearts” everywhere.
Practicing mindfulness by focusing on current feelings and thoughts, choosing supportive self-talk, and being respectful towards others will enable our kids to create more peaceful and “connected” lives.
We invite you to download our free coaching story that teaches the skill of developing positive self-talk here:
https://adventuresinwisdom.com/life-coaching-for-kids-free-story/
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Adventures well my friend!
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