“Learning through health and wellbeing promotes confidence, independent thinking and positive attitudes and dispositions. Because of this, it is the responsibility of every teacher to contribute to learning and development in this area.” Curriculum for Excellence
The Do-BeMindful Initiative aims to support schools and teachers in meeting this responsibility with our transformative Mindfulness programmes. We help:
- teachers enhance their practice
- enrich students’ learning journey
- engage parents in this educational process
Do-BeMindful Foundation Programme
Is a practical introduction to Mindfulness that can be enjoyed by everyone. This programme will train your brain to help you to manage stress and enjoy better relationships, better performance and better health and wellbeing.
- Five one hour modules
- Inspiring videos
- Guided interactive practices
- Reflection exercises
- Optional resources to take you further
- Online community
- Completion certificate
- Everything you need to teach Mindfulness to young children
Do-BeMindful Adventurers and
Explorers Programmes
Involve 8 weeks of fun and engaging lessons as well as regular daily Mindfulness practices that help children to develop life skills that will benefit their mental health, emotional wellbeing and academic performance.
- 16 engaging curriculum-linked lesson ideas
- Age-appropriate Mindfulness activities – easily integrated into the classroom, after-school clubs, or other youth settings
- Workbooks
- Mindful Games Activity Cards
“The Do-BeMindful Explorers Programme teaches pupils how to pay attention which is a very valuable life skill. After completing the programme our pupils were definitely more focussed, compassionate and self-aware.”
DHT, Thornton Primary
Why Mindfulness?
Around 20% of 5-16 year olds in the UK suffer from a mental health illness and approximately 50% of those with a lifetime mental illness will experience symptoms by the age of 14.
A recent survey found that over 75% of teachers had reported experiencing work-related anxiousness, 86% had suffered sleeplessness and 33% poor health as a result of work related pressures.
Anxiety, stress and depression have never before been so prevalent in both adults and young people. Research shows that poor mental health negatively impacts on attainment and life chances.
Early intervention and prevention strategies are key to minimising the prevalence and severity of poor mental health. Mindfulness is one evidence-based intervention that can benefit both adults’ and childrens’ mental health and emotional wellbeing.
The Science
In recent years there has been a surge of interest in Mindfulness underpinned by a growing body of scientific and clinical research evidence. Mindfulness neuroscience is a new, inter-disciplinary field of research that encompasses neuroimaging techniques, physiological measures and behavioural tests to explore the effects of different aspects of mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness is viewed as enabling an enhanced quality of life with greater emotional and mental wellbeing, increased levels of happiness, increased resilience, reduced levels of stress, better communication and relationships.
Based on published studies, Mindfulness has been found to be effective in:-
- Attention regulation and enhanced cognitive performance 1
- Reducing levels of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms 2
- Increasing emotional intelligence 1
- Self-compassion and compassion for others 3
- Increasing resilience and ability to cope with a range of clinical and non-clinical problems 4,5,6,7,
References:
1 Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, Congleton C, Yerramsetti SM, Gard T and Lazar SW (2011) Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density Psychiatry Research, 191:1, pp 36-43
2 Sharma, M. and Rush, S.E. (2014) Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction as a Stress Management Intervention for Healthy Individuals – A Systematic Review, Journal of Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 19:4, pp 271-286
3 Neff, K.D. and Germer, C.K. (2013) A Pilot Study and Randomized Controlled Trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60:1, pp 28-44
4 Grossman, P, Niemann, L. Schmidt, S. and Walach, H. (2004) Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits- A meta-analysis, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 57, pp 35–43
5 Shian-Ling Keng, Moria J. Smoski, and Clive J. Robins (2011) Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies, Clinical Psychology Review, 31:6, pp 1041-1056
6 Spijkerman, M.P.J., Pots W.T.M. and Bohlmeijer, E.T. (2016) Effectiveness of Online Mindfulness-based Interventions in Improving Mental Health: A review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review, 45, pp 102-114
7 Hassed, Craig The Health Benefits of Meditation and Being Mindful. Mindfulness@Monash
