Mindfulness is an important skill because it helps us to stay in the present moment. Research says that mindfulness is a huge contributor to our happiness.
Why is this? When we are mindful, we are more capable of experiencing what is happening right now. It means we are not stuck in the past or always thinking about the future.
Find out more in the video with Dr. Jen below!
Each month, we focus on one piece of what makes a powerful umbrella of well-being skills. In February, we are adding Mindfulness to our umbrella of well-being.
Does your child spend a lot of time ruminating on the past or worrying about the future?
When we spend a lot of time thinking about the past or future instead of being engaged in the present moment, research shows this can make us feel unhappy.
Mindfulness is our ability to pay attention to our feelings, thoughts, bodily sensations and our environment, in the moment, without labeling them as good or bad (non-judgement).
This means we aren’t feeling bad or trying to change our feelings but instead just noticing them and becoming more aware of them and the world around us. This may seem simple, but mindfulness takes practice. On average, we spend half our time thinking about something other that what we are doing in the present!
Mindfulness has been shown to have many benefits. Paying attention to the present moment can boost our mood, improve our self-confidence and help us think more clearly. It can also improve our immune system’s ability to fight disease. Mindfulness can increase brain size, specifically the parts responsible for learning, memory and empathy. It’s an important skill in our umbrella and supports development of a lot of the other Umbrella Skills.
This month we will dig deeper into how to build this skill and the foundations of mindful parenting.
“In today’s rush, we all think too much — seek too much — want too much — and forget about the joy of just being.” ~Eckhart Tolle
Our personal narrative – the story we tell about our lives – has a lot of power to improve our resilience. Everyone faces challenges along life’s path. To build resilience, we need to recognize the meaning these different events hold for our child and help them shift to a more resilient story.
Here are a few narratives of difficult times that can help foster resilience and the ability to feel stronger on the other side of the experience:
Strengthening of spiritual life
Calling on and building our strengths to get through difficulties
An important fork in the road leading to a better path
An improved relationship
A new appreciation for life
A new door opened
And many more….
Consider these and others when working through difficult times with your child. Remember, resilience isn’t “not feeling the sad, mad, frustrated, hurt feelings.” These feelings are important and should be felt. Resilience is about believing that sunny days are waiting on the other side of the rain.
One way that we can build resilience in our children is to help them to put their challenges in perspective.
You can do this by, for example, zooming out in time on the problem. This encourages your child to see challenges as small moments in time, that won’t be that relevant to their lives later on.
Ask your child about the problem they are encountering, then ask them if it will still be an issue for them in a week, a month, a year, or many years into the future.
Listen in with Dr. Jen to learn more!
Getting outdoors does so much to improve our wellbeing! When kids get outdoors, they have an environment in which they can naturally take calculated risks.
Risky play means that our child encounters something they feel a little bit afraid of, but the challenge is within their capacity to overcome. Taking on and overcoming this challenge allows them to experience the related feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment.
Listen in with Dr. Jen below or on our Youtube channel here.