
Benefits
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a wellness practice. It is a self-regulation technique that encourages one to be present in the moment with thoughts, feelings, physical sensations without making judgements.
Benefits of Mindfulness practices
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Increases executive functioning and cognitive skills.
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Decrease mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, stress and self-esteem issues.
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Improves a students sense of well being and improves social interactions.
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Improves emotional regulation, helping students be able to control their feelings, thoughts, and actions.
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Nature offers free, easy, and organic method to introduce mindfulness and promote self-regulation.
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Nature offers a variety of novel and varies sensory stimuli which can focus student attention to live in the moment.
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Increases self-awareness, compassion and empathy.
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Improves conflict resolution strategies and emotional regulation.
Benefits of being outside in nature
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Exposure to environment-based education significantly increases student performance on tests of their critical thinking skills.
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Play protects children’s emotional development, whereas loss of free time and a hurried lifestyle can contribute to anxiety and depression.
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Nature enhances social interactions, value for community, and close relationships.
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Outdoor play increases fitness levels and builds active, healthy bodies,
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Spending time outside raises levels of vitamin D, helping protect children from future bone problems, heart disease, diabetes, and other health issues.
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Positive relationship between engagement in natural settings and well-bring, whereas detachment from nature is related to diseases
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Being outside improves distance vision and lowers the chance of nearsightedness.
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Exposure to natural settings may be widely effective in reducing ADHD symptoms.
Supporting Research and Resources
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Mindfulness-based interventions in schools-a systematic review and meta-analysis
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Adolescents' Mindfulness and Psychological Distress: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation
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Last Child in the Woods Saving Our Children from Natural Deficit Disorder by Richard Louve
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Do experiences with Nature Promote Learning? Converging Evidence of Cause-and-Effect Relationship
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Environmental Education & Nature Based Learning- Penn State College of Agricultural Science
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