Stress Relief For Teens. Is Mindfulness The Key?
ASHLEIGH JENSEN
Mindfulness might sound like a bit of an “out there” kind of word with no real meaning, however mindfulness, and the mind in general, is so much more complex than we realize.
So What Exactly Is Mindfulness?
Well, according to the University of California, Berkeley, mindfulness means “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment”.
Mindfulness also has a strong emphasis on acceptance. Accepting our thoughts, our feelings and where we are in our life in the current moment without judgement or thinking that what we are experiencing is either “right” or “wrong”.
The idea of practicing mindfulness has absolutely boomed over the past decade, with the mindfulness coloring books, apps, and workshops becoming increasingly popular.
According to Joe Burton, CEO of Whil Concepts, there are over 80 scientific studies published per month that investigate the link between mindfulness and a wide range of health benefits.
Mindfulness claims to reduce anxiety, prevent depression, reduce daily distractions and improve personal self-esteem and self-compassion.
Maybe A Daily Dose Of Mindfulness Might Be Just What The Doctor (Or Health Expert) Ordered!
A 2014 study by the American Psychological Association suggested that a staggering 42 percent of adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years old said they weren’t doing enough to manage their increasing stress.
Teens often turn to sports, friendships, family, video games and many other external distractions as a way to manage stress. But what if they could turn their focus inward as a way to foster their emotional wellbeing during this turbulent time of life?
Fortunately, there are organizations and companies across the globe now offering mindfulness workshops to teach age-appropriate skills on how to, essentially,be more mindful.
Tweet - Studies suggest that stress, cognitions, daily functioning and self-esteem could all be improved with the use of mindfulness practices incorporated into daily life.
These Exercises Aim To Teach Self-Acceptance, Loving-Kindness, Self-Compassion And Gratitude
Mindfulness can be practiced in a variety of ways, including formal sitting meditation, walking meditation, yoga and breathing exercises.
Sitting meditation requires you to either sit or lie down, typically with your eyes closed. There a several ways that you can meditate while seated, which you can read more about here.
Walking meditation involves having your eyes open and being completely aware of your surroundings, your feelings, your senses and your thoughts while walking. There are several different ways to practice a walking or moving meditation. You can read more about walking meditation here.
Yoga and breathing is another way that you can practice mindfulness. Thankfully, these techniques are now commonly taught in schools and workplaces as the benefits become more known. You can watch a range of guided yoga flows and breathing techniques on FMTV.
Results from studies that look at the benefits of mindfulness on adolescent stress all seem to be pointing in the same direction. Studies suggest that stress, cognitions, daily functioning and self-esteem could all be improved with the use of mindfulness practices incorporated into daily life.
Ashleigh is an integral part of the Food Matters communications team. A holistic Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Bachelor of Health Promotion student and all round communications superstar. When she's not sharing health and wellness inspiration for us, you can find her down by the beach or in the kitchen creating vegan delights!