Does mindfulness really work? Can it help your students?

Amy Malloy
Amy Malloy
A young girl meditating outside in a green space

What is mindfulness?

The term mindfulness refers to a state of awareness. This is arrived at by paying conscious attention to the present moment and observing it without judgment, with curiosity and compassion.

It is often confused with meditation, but really they¡¯re not the same thing at all. Meditating and focusing on the breath is just one of the ways we can consciously pay attention and become more aware of ourselves and the present moment.?

You might be conscious that mindfulness has over the last decade. As with anything trendy, it can be easy to build preconceptions and dismiss it before trying it yourself. So let¡¯s break it down together and start with the basics.

Why is mindfulness important?

Have you ever been driving somewhere in the car and noticed that you¡¯ve arrived at your destination without really noticing the journey at all? All your thoughts on the way were elsewhere.

This is called being on automatic pilot. It¡¯s a symptom of our mind and body¡¯s brilliant way of turning our everyday processes into a routine. It means we don¡¯t need to think about it every time we need our body to move, speak or function.

Just as the scenery can pass us by on a journey, so too can our thoughts and reactions to the things happening around us. They happen in our minds and bodies without us noticing. Our conscious mind is focused on something in the future, the past, or in our imaginations instead.

Being on automatic pilot is often very helpful. But it also comes with a significant downside. Without us even realizing, negative thought cycles can build up under the surface. They can make us feel stressed and anxious.

When this happens our minds conclude that there is a threat and sounds the alarm. This stress , ability to process new information, and ability to learn.

This is where mindfulness comes in.

Mindfulness helps us catch these in their tracks, allowing us to consciously notice negative thoughts. Rather than panicking, we become aware of how we are feeling ¨C and why. We can therefore shift our relationship with our thoughts and emotions so that they don¡¯t seem so challenging anymore.

In a school setting, this can help students regulate the stress surrounding exam pressure. Students can also learn to sit more comfortably with the impermanent emotions of adolescence, which seemed all-consuming and everlasting at the time.

What can our students learn from mindfulness?

Over the past decade, neuroscientific research has discovered that our brains are immensely malleable. Every interaction we have in our day-to-day lives builds connections that affect how our brains and thoughts function. Just like building muscle through exercise, our brain forms new matter in the areas we use most.

In short, we can either continue to cement the habits we¡¯ve already formed or build brain matter in areas that encourage healthier, more positive functioning.

Studies have demonstrated in many contexts that the brains of those who regularly practice mindfulness use different pathways to those who don¡¯t: pathways which allow self-regulation of adrenaline and the stress responses and make it easier to experience external events without the accompanying narrative of critical thought.

Even ten minutes of practicing mindful awareness a day has been . Mindfulness has also been shown to improve concentration and focus, resilience, emotional regulation and sleep quality in children, teens and adults alike.

How can we begin to practice mindfulness?

We start by learning to focus attention on a physical anchor. This may be focusing on the body, the breath, or even using the senses to observe sounds, sights, tastes, touch etc. in our external environment. We then build the length of time we can focus, and grow accustomed to the mind wandering and returning to the point of focus.

Then we learn to be curious about what we notice in the present moment and that we can observe without judging or forming an opinion.

In time, it can be possible to learn to observe our relationship with the thoughts that come in and out of our minds. We can then find ways to accept difficult feelings and allow them to pass over without panicking or instinctively reacting.

Want to learn more about mindfulness and wellbeing? Check out our blog posts on the subject here.?

Explore our educator section

More blogs from ÃÛÌÒapp

  • Woman wearing headphones outside, smiling and looking hopeful

    6 easy ways to learn English

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    When you¡¯re learning English, it¡¯s important to keep your motivation up. As with any task, there may be times when it feels a bit more difficult, so switch up your methods and don¡¯t be afraid to make mistakes ¨C you¡¯ll reach the level you want to be at.

    We¡¯ve already provided some unique ways to teach English that you may now have experienced with your teacher. Here, we suggest some easy ways to learn English that you can try any time ¨C at home, at work or on the move. Why not try them today? Surround yourself with English and you¡¯ll see improvements in your language confidence and skills, while having fun at the same time¡­

    1. English words with friends

    Scrabble is a classic board game in which players use random lettered tiles to create words in a crossword fashion. It¡¯s a fantastic way to strengthen your English vocabulary, and there¡¯s also a Scrabble Junior version for beginners. Playing Scrabble challenges you to really think in English as you try to come up with different words using your set of letters.

    If you¡¯re taking an English class, buy the board game and invite your classmates to play with you. You can also play Scrabble online through websites like Facebook, where it is called Words With Friends.

    2. Add some music

    Not only will your favorite song wake up your mind and put you in a positive mood to learn English, but the lyrics can help you expand your skills. acquire grammar and vocabulary and improve spelling.

    Songs almost always contain a lot of useful vocabulary, phrases and expressions. And since the intended audience is fluent English speakers, the latest tunes include up-to-date language and colloquialisms. The language used in songs is casual and usable, if you pick the right music. Music also has an uncanny ability to stick in our heads, which can help you remember your new English words.

  • a hand holding a remote control

    8 easy tricks for improving your English skills

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    As you work to improve your English skills, it¡¯s always helpful to have some tricks and tips to help you stay motivated. With that in mind, we¡¯ve collated these eight simple tips from fellow English language learners, to help you on your quest¡­

    1. Set yourself small goals

    Learning English is a long process, and it may take years to progress from one level to the next. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to set yourself achievable goals. At ÃÛÌÒapp, we work with thousands of English teachers worldwide to define what it means to ¡®be at a level¡¯ in English.?

    2. Create a study schedule

    Ensure this schedule works around your daily responsibilities and make sure to keep it simple! Try breaking up your English language learning over the course of an entire day, which may make it feel more manageable.

    3. Practice a little bit every day

    Even if it¡¯s listening to an English podcast during your commute or practicing your favorite words while having breakfast, every little bit of practice helps!

    4. Discover what type of learner you are

    Auditory, visual, or tactile. Use this as a basis for how you spend time studying. For instance, a visual learner may benefit from flashcards (see point 7), while an auditory learner may benefit from watching a television program in English.

    5. Turn on music in English

    Rhythms and rhymes have been found to stimulate the brain and improve learning. Our research found that music can be an invaluable tool when learning English, as it helps with pronunciation, word boundaries and vocabulary.

    6. Watch movies with English dialogue

    Movies are a great source of native conversation and vocabulary. Plus, the visual nature of film allows you to experience nonverbal context too ¡ª such as facial expressions and hand gestures ¡ª accompanying and contextualizing the film¡¯s dialogue. Above all, watching a movie is a fun and motivational way to develop English language skills.

    7. Learn new vocabulary with flashcards

    While this may be the oldest studying trick in the book, students around the world use flashcards because they work!

    8. Track your progress

    To gain a sense of accomplishment, it¡¯s important to know where you¡¯ve started. We¡¯ve just introduced a new way to measure progress in English. Have a look at it to quickly discover what your areas of strength and weakness are.

    Finally, it¡¯s important to remember that not every learning trick will work for you. So, if you find that chatting with fluent English speakers helps you progress faster but you¡¯re not always able to converse with them face-to-face, spend more of your time communicating online with your English-speaking friends and contacts.

  • A overhead shot of a person sat on a chair with a laptop to their left is icons of envelopes

    6 things to consider when writing English emails

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    Every day, an astonishing number of emails are sent and received worldwide. While a considerable amount of these are informal messages between friends, the majority are for business purposes. Whether you¡¯re emailing someone you work with, applying for a new job or making new connections, here are some general rules to follow when writing English emails¡­

    1. Know your tone

    Always consider who you are writing to and adapt your language accordingly. Emails are less formal than letters, so it¡¯s fine to start your email with ¡°Hi¡± or ¡°Good morning¡± ¨C but it may be better to write ¡°Dear¡­¡± if you are emailing someone for the first time or if they are senior to you. Similarly, ending emails with ¡°Best/kind regards¡± rather than ¡°Yours sincerely/faithfully¡± works well, with the latter being more appropriate for a formal email. Whatever the relationship, though, don¡¯t feel tempted to use laid-back, colloquial expressions like ¡°Hey, you guys¡±, ¡°Yo!¡±, or ¡°Hi folks¡±.

    2. It¡¯s all about the titles

    It¡¯s increasingly common to use first names in international business communications, so don¡¯t be afraid to do so. Another title to consider is your email subject header: a short, clear text is important as busy people often decide whether to even open an email depending on the subject header. Examples of a good subject header include ¡°Meeting date changed¡±, ¡°Quick question about your presentation¡±, or ¡°Suggestions for the proposal¡±.

    3. Use a professional email address

    If you work for a company you¡¯ll be using your company email address. But if you¡¯re using a personal email account because you¡¯re self-employed or looking for a new job, you should be careful when choosing that address.

    You should always have an email address that includes your name so that the recipient knows exactly who is sending the email. Email addresses that you created while you were in school or college (IloveJohn@¡­ or ¡°Beerlover@¡­) are not appropriate for the workplace!

    4. Limit the small talk

    Small talk can help to build relationships but it doesn¡¯t need to be overly personal. A simple ¡°I hope you are well¡± or ¡°How are things?¡± will usually suffice. Also, be cautious with humor as it can easily get lost in translation without the correct tone or facial expressions that accompany face-to-face meetings. It¡¯s safer to leave out humor from emails unless you know the recipient well.

    5. Keep it simple

    Emails are intended to be written, read and understood quickly, so only include the important details ¨C and avoid saturating your message with unnecessary information.

    6. Proofread every message

    Always check your emails before pressing Send. Read and re-read your email a few times, preferably aloud, to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes. And never just rely on the auto spell-check; spell-checking software doesn't always understand the context of your writing and can throw you off with incorrect suggestions.?

    Happy emailing.