Ah, March – the midpoint of the spring semester.  It’s a great time to lock in some strategies for self-care and mindfulness, especially as testing season starts to ramp up.  We’ve discussed mindfulness in this blog before, and our school district even has its very own Mindfulness Specialist! He got his start helping pre-kindergarteners learn to “pay attention, in a particular way, in the present moment, on purpose, and non-judgementally” (Per Jon Kabat-Zinn!).

At its essence, the practice of mindfulness is a chance to choose one’s response to life events, large and small, significant and mundane.  Here’s a short video from Happify for a concise and adorable explanation:

Exercising the Superpower

Since the concept of mindfulness has gotten more attention lately (in large part due to positive research findings!), there are many resources available to help build a practice.  And don’t forget: a practice can just be reminding one’s self to take a breath once in a while, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally!  The breath is the present we can always return to, and the tool we can always use. Beyond just breathing, check out these other great ideas:

Here are 22 simple mindfulness exercises and activities, geared toward grown ups!

Done with those 22 already?  Here are 71 more methods for occupying the present moment!

Want to try some mindfulness out on your kid?  Check out this New York Times article that’s browseable by child age, from newborn to teenager!

Interested in integrating mindfulness into a classroom? Edutopia’s got you!

There are many mindfulness experts teaching already in Austin ISD and beyond – how do you do mindfulness in your life and work?  Let us know in the comments, and tag us on social media: @austinisdsel! See y’all out there in a near-future present moment!