DINA KLARIĆ, PROF.

PSYCHOLOGY
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUĆIDAR, SPLIT
CROATIA
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Mindfulness or focused awareness is a state of awareness of what is happening in
the present moment, including awareness of ours thoughts, feelings, and sensations in
the body.
It includes awareness and acceptance:
Awareness is the knowledge and ability to focus attention on internal processes and
experiences, like the experience of the present moment.
Acceptance is the ability to observe and accept - instead of judging or avoiding -
the flow of thoughts.
MORE DEFINITIONS OF MINDFULNESS:
Mindfulness is a technique aimed to develop attention and concentration,
perception, recognition, acceptance and better control of feelings and behavior,
empathy and compassionate relationships.
Mindfulness helps you calm down, collect your thoughts, and react more consciously
in stressful and challenging life situations.
Mindfulness is an active process that involves focused attention, noticing, not judging,
accepting, approaching all experiences, pleasant and unpleasant, at some point
around you and within yourself.
PROFESSOR JON KABAT-ZINN, THE PIONEER OF THE WESTERN MINDFULNESS MOVEMENT,
AN AUTHOR OF A MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION (MBSR), EXPLORES THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND BODY AWARENESS, AND THE BENEFITS OF
GIVING THE BODY OUR FULL ATTENTION. PLUS, EXPLORE A GUIDED BODY AWARENESS
MEDITATION. HE PROVED THAT PRACTICING MINDFULNESS CAN BRING IMPROVEMENTS IN
PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS POSITIVE CHANGES IN HEALTH,
ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR.
WHY IS MINDFULNESS BENEFICIAL FOR CHILDREN?

Mindfulness meditation for kids can help them learn to calm their bodies and minds.
This creates a relaxed, positive environment which can benefit behaviour,
communication and emotional regulation. It can help children learn patience and
explore feelings such as gratitude and love.

Mindfulness improves attention, concentration, memory, regulation of feelings and

behavior, sleep, relationships with others, self-acceptance and self-confidence, and
quality of life in children.
ACTIVITY WITH CHILDREN:

 What is mindfulness?
Wheel of Emotions
Exercises for children
 1. ACTIVITY: WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Children learn about mindfulness with worksheet which gives a simple introduction to the
concept of mindfulness.
2. ACTIVITY: WHEEL OF EMOTIONS, ROBERT PLUTCHIK,
1980.

Plutchik's wheel of emotions identifies 8 basic emotions including joy, trust, fear,
surprise, disgust, anger, and anticipation. Combinations of these basic emotions result
in advanced emotions, such as optimism, love, submission, awe, disappointment,
remorse, contempt, and aggression.
This Wheel of Emotions diagram beautifully depicts the relationships between each
emotion in the form of a spectrum.
2. ACTIVITY:
CHILDREN DO WORKSHEET TO LEARN HOW IS HARD TO PICKING OUT
THE RIGHT WORD TO DESCRIBE HOW THEY FEEL. EVEN IF THE WORD
THEY WANT ISN'T ON THE SPECTRUM, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO
POINT OUT WHAT IT'S NEAR.
SOME EXERCISES FOR CHILDREN :
MORE EXERCISES AND MATERIALS
https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/mindfulness-for-children
https://www.education.com/worksheets/mindfulness/
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/mindfulness-for-children
https://leftbrainbuddha.com/10-ways-teach-mindfulness-to-kids/
https://bitsofpositivity.com/the-ultimate-list-of-free-meditation-printables-for-kids-
mindfulness-resources
WHAT DO YOU THINK?