Is teaching mindfulness at schools doing more harm than good?

Does your child come home from school complaining about doing mindfulness?  Isn't mindfulness meant to be relaxing and fun?

Well, that depends....

So why when I start to talk to adolescents about using mindfulness as part of therapy, am I frequently hearing the response "ugh"?

So why when I start to talk to adolescents about using mindfulness as part of therapy, am I frequently hearing the response "ugh"?

When I ask about this response, it is generally because they did mindfulness meditation at school and didn’t really like it. Some say it was boring - which is usually teen speak for a range of things (they didn't understand it, it made them feel uncomfortable, they couldn't 'do it', and sometimes it means it was just boring).

Some clients say that it increased their anxiety and made them feel worse.

When you stop and think about it most people put a lot of time and effort into distracting themselves from distressing thoughts and feelings. Whereas mindfulness can involve tuning into thoughts and feelings.  So, is it any wonder they can experience increase in anxiety and stress, when suddenly in the middle of school they are encouraged to stop, be calm and spend time on introspection.​

When is mindfulness contraindicated?
​In some children mindfulness is not just boring, it can harm their mental health.

Getting started with mindfulness is not what they need.

There are quite a few instances where starting a mindfulness practice is contraindicated.

These includes students experiencing anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, students with a history of panic attacks, and students with altered states of consciousness such as from alcohol or drugs.

If teachers are aware that a student is suffering any of these mental health conditions, the student needs to be excluded from undertaking mindfulness meditation (in an inclusive and thoughtful way). However, a teacher is not going to be aware of the mental health of all the students in their class. Therefore, a considered approach about how to include mindfulness in schools is recommended.

A checklist for mindfulness in schools
​The way in which mindfulness in schools is delivered varies significantly. Practices include having guided meditation, a focused breathing practice, and taking time to give thanks each day.  Here are some things to consider.
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1. Make mindfulness practice optional.
2. Provide a range of practical mindful experiences such as walking, stretching, communication, singing, creative activities.
3. Focus on creating an holistic, integrated calming environment at school. Perhaps starting each session with the whole class taking a couple of deep breaths.
4. Provide teachers with the opportunity to learn mindfulness and experience a daily practice. Eg https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/mindfulness-wellbeing-performance.
5. Remember that scientific studies into the benefits of mindfulness are ongoing https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_state_of_mindfulness_science, and not as conclusive as we may sometimes think. Also, most studies focus on adults, not teenagers and children.

If you want help supporting student with mental health conditions you can contact us at [email protected].

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