Mindfulness: The New School-Stress Reliever

School can be quite overwhelming and stressful with the buildup of assignments, after school activities and much more, but how do students deal with the weight of all this work? There are many different ways that students can deal with stress on their own, but a new type of school has found a way to allow students to de-stress while in class. 

Mindfulness schools have incorporated meditation and mindfulness (the process of bringing one’s attention to the present moment) into their curriculum to reduce the amount of toxic stress that students have and create a better school environment for everyone. Because of their success rates and growing popularity, more of these schools are appearing across the country. 

They have proven to be very efficient in bettering their students and educators. According to a Mindful Educator Essentials Course Survey, 82 percent of educators felt that they connected better with their students and 83 percent saw improved focus in their students. It’s a problem for many teachers to get their students to really focus on their work and not just brush it off. 

Mindfulness doesn’t only work in schools.  Todd Scholl, a former teacher at Carolina Forest, has incorporated mindfulness into his daily lifestyle. Scholl is currently the Coordinator of Communications & Program Development for The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA).  His job requires him to wear many hats as he travels across our state on a monthly basis.   He discovered that this practice changed his mentality and allowed him to better himself as a person. Scholl doesn’t get caught up in his negative thoughts; instead, he acknowledges them and overcomes them. He also lives in the present without judgment of himself or others. 

“I have been able to significantly reduce the amount of time I spend ruminating about my fears. This has made space for more peace, stillness and joy,” shared Scholl. 

Scholl has created a website, network and podcast, called Teacher’s Aligned, dedicated to giving educators access to tools and information on mindfulness, social-emotional learning, yoga, self-care, teacher wellness and much more. He encourages other educators to join in the mindfulness movement because of its many benefits.  

Although mindfulness doesn’t completely eliminate stress from one’s life, it helps them approach tough situations differently. This improves social skills and helps one become a better person. These are only a few of the many benefits mindfulness holds. The true results are different for every person, so one may find how mindfulness benefits them by trying out the practice. 

If you would like to know more about mindfulness and what it can do for you, please visit Scholl’s website: http://www.teachersaligned.org/.