Remember when being mindful wasn’t a thing? If you’re anything like me, you probably didn’t even hear the word until adulthood. But if it’s been around for thousands of years, how did we go so long without knowing about it and why can’t we seem to escape the word now? Well, partially because we now have research to prove its importance. We now know that mindfulness can help reduce stress and anxiety, support emotional regulation, improve focus, and even enhance relationships. In children, it’s been linked to better attention, reduced impulsivity, and greater resilience. And partially because, when we were growing up, it just kind of…happened.
Comedian Des Bishop has a great routine about this. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, mindfulness was everywhere, we just didn’t call it that. We called it life. Waiting for a friend? You waited. Mindfulness. Riding the bus? You stared out the window. Mindfulness. Returning a VHS? You had to rewind it. Mindfulness.
We were alone with our thoughts half of the day. Now? Distraction is just a tap away. If our kids aren’t used to sitting with their thoughts, it’s not a character flaw, it’s a design flaw. We’ve built a world where stillness is rare and being present with your feelings is uncomfortable.
I’m guilty of it too. Cooking dinner? I’m also checking emails. Getting ready for work? I’m also listening to a podcast. Watching TV? I’m also googling whether whales have belly buttons (they do, by the way).
So now we’re in a place where we have to teach mindfulness, because it no longer shows up naturally in our day. That’s why this term, as part of the Respectful Relationships program, mindfulness will be explored in classrooms. It’s not us jumping on the latest trend, it’s a real, practical tool for helping students settle their minds, navigate big emotions, and build self-awareness. No incense required.
And while we’re not expecting them to sit cross-legged on a mountaintop (yet), giving children the skills to be present, even briefly, might just be the most valuable quiet moment in their whole day.