Five-Minute Mindfulness Practices

Sometimes I feel like I’m a toggle switch, and someone keeps flipping me between “remote” and “in-person.” Wouldn’t it be easier if we could just know? If we could just pick one and stick with it? If I hear the word “pivot” one more time…

But the truth is that there’s no way around it, at least not right now. And so we’re left to live in the hazy middle, adjusting our lesson plans and assignments, doing the best we can.

And what about the students? Especially when they’re remote, as more and more now are, we know they’re not nearly as engaged, and they’re lacking connection. So we worry about their social-emotional growth.

If you’re worried about this like I am, this might be for you. After speaking with other teachers and counselors, I created a series of five-minute lessons to help students re-engage, re-connect, and most importantly, learn some skills they can use to take care of themselves.

What’s in them? Each lesson contains a couple of Google Slides that introduce the material, and then an audio file leading them through a short practice that builds on the topic.

So the first lesson is a simple introduction to mindfulness, with a practice called the “1-2-3” -- a 20-second practice kids can do any time, anywhere to ground themselves in the moment. Re-engage, re-connect.

The second lesson is a mindful eating exercise, designed to show them that mindfulness isn’t the property of gurus and can be activated any time, even with a chocolate chip or a raisin. If you can connect with a raisin, what can’t you do?

The third lesson is about observing your thoughts rather than letting them control you. It’s laying the groundwork for the final two lessons, which are about dealing with stress.

Lesson 4 is about the stress response, and learning to hold our stress in us with tenderness. We tend to resist stress or try to distract ourselves from it. How’s that working for you?

And the final lesson is all about connection, building a sense of safety, and some resilience.

If that sounds like something you could use (I mean for your students, but you too, of course!), then sign up below and I’ll send it to you. Just enter your email address where it says "Join the MO(ve)MENT" and it's yours, absolutely free!

And for a primer on how to create the right atmosphere in your class to practice mindfulness, check out this post.