Mindfulness and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Teachers and Students

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness has been used in Health, Education and Professional Development over the last 30 years to manage stress and increase wellbeing. It is recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) for use in the NHS.

Mindfulness, or Mindful Awareness, is the art of being focused and concentrated in the present moment—rather than lost in the past, or anxious about the future.

Mindfulness enables us to respond skilfully to challenging situations, to make more effective decisions, to manage stress and to develop resilience.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps you recognise that how you ‘think’ affects your ‘feelings’ and your ‘behaviour’. CBT aims to help you manage your problems, about yourself, the world and other people, by changing how you think, feel and act which can help you feel better about life.

Mindfulness uses a range of techniques that are easily learned by anyone to develop this awareness.

Why use Mindfulness and CBT in Schools?

Students:

Mindfulness practice helps students to focus and pay attention. A number of teachers have reported that when students practice mindfulness they have been calmer and accomplish more in lessons.

The CBT element enables the student to choose healthier and more productive thoughts leading to feelings and behaviours that are more constructive.

Increased well-being benefits both staff and students.

Teachers:

Teachers experience a range of challenges at work and in their personal life. Mindfulness practice helps to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and physical pain thus improving overall health.

Teachers have found they are more focused in the classroom and in prioritising work. More aware of when they are making reactive decisions as opposed to responsive decisions.

Mindfulness enables one to remain engaged in the present moment, to be more aware, facilitating making effective choices.

Benefits of Mindfulness

. Increased emotional regulation
. Increased social skills
. Increased ability to orient attention
. Increased working memory and planning and
. organization
. Increased self-esteem/confidence
. Increased sense of calmness, relaxation, and
. self-acceptance.
. Increased quality of sleep
. Decreased test /exam anxiety
. Decreased ADHD behaviours- specifically hyperactivity
. and impulsivity
. Decreased negative affect/ emotions
. Decreased anxiety
. Decreased depression
. Fewer conduct and anger management problems

Courses I offer in Mindfulness.

8 week Mindfulness courses for teachers.

8 week mindfulness courses for pupils/students.

8 week mindfulness courses for parents.

In addition, I offer full and half-day INSET training designed to meet the needs of individual schools.

Contact

www.catherineayensu-cbt.co.uk

Phone: 07535477191

E-mail: info@catherineayensu-cbt.co.uk

Research

There has been research conducted on the benefits of mindfulness in schools. In 2006 research was conducted at Tonbridge and Hampton Schools, the study and findings can be found in ‘The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2010, 5 (4), 264-274.

There has been much research over the past 30 years that shows the benefits to our bodies and minds from engaging in mindfulness practices. Mindfulness helps us develop our lives in simple ways that bring both physical and psychological benefits.