168
Mindfulness
With Term 2 on the go and secondary school midyear exams peeking over the horizon, students may be looking for ways to manage the stress that often arises at this time of year. While meditation, long baths, a peaceful walk in nature and being mindful may do the trick, they are not for everyone.
In the counselling room, we often avoid the term mindfulness as students may associate this with enforced stillness and audio tracks with sonorous voices that irritate rather than sooth. However, mindfulness does not have to be like this.
In my house, my family can always tell when I am in a period of high stress. While I do meditate and enjoy time in nature, doing these things is not always possible and I prefer not to use all the hot water for a long shower as I, perhaps unreasonably, prefer my teenagers to shower.
My children and I call my form of mindfulness ‘stress baking.’ Following a recipe, smelling the ingredients, noticing the texture of the mixture, and slowing down to focus on each step is as mindful as meditation. If you do not focus entirely on what you are doing, then you won’t produce something edible at the end. Baking grounds us in the present and prevents us from thinking about the ‘what ifs’ of the future.
For me, baking is the preferred mindfulness activity as it provides school lunch treats for my hungry hordes as well as resulting in my own relaxation. However, cooking in general provides the same benefits.
If you need dinner to be cooked, your child may find that this gives them a much-needed study break while also providing a mindful experience, allowing them to refocus and improve their quality of study following dinner. Just be prepared to do the cleaning up afterwards.
Here is a link to an article on the mindfulness of cooking.
Mandy Barr, Joanne Devota-Rando, Sarah Quin
School Counsellors
