Feburary Social Skills Lesson

 

Mindfulness
"Be in control of your mind"

This month students practiced being mindful and reviewed

what they already know about mindfulness.  We also introduced what it means to be present. This lesson demonstrated how it is important to be in control of your mind rather than letting your mind be in control of you.  We discussed how being mindful can slow you down and help you notice your emotions, thoughts and urges. Being mindful can help you have more control over your body and your actions.

During the lesson students participated in a few activities to practice being mindful and present in the moment. We explained to students when practicing mindfulness the goal is to only have one thought at time.

ACTIVITIES:

• Students colored for less than 5 minutes. Students were instructed that if their mind and thoughts wander off to "label" them and come back to the task of coloring. 
• Students played the game Sound-Ball. Sound Ball is played by passing a sound around to your peers. When receiving a sound, students need to be attentive so that they are continuing to think of a sound to throw to another classmate. Sound Ball is a great game that helps students practice being present and in the moment.  
• Students listened to the story "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said The Sloth" by Eric Carl. Students were asked to raise their hand every time they heard the phrase, "slowly, slowly, slowly" which kept them engaged into the book. This helped the stay in tune with the movement and practice being present. 

It was recommended to students and teachers to continue to do these activities to help carry over the mindful strategies that were taught in this lesson. Continuing to practice being mindful and present will help students control their mind instead of having their mind controlling them. 

Coloring page