Mindful energy techniques : They can spark a change in students’ mental health and energies

Your surroundings cave in on you and your mind races with an overwhelming amount of tasks and thoughts until it can no longer comprehend anything more, but unfortunately it is forced to. A weight presses down against your chest to the thought of having to get through the day. Even standing feels as though hard rain were pouring down on top of you, forcing you to hit the ground. 

 Your alarm goes off in the morning, and yet somehow the sun hasn’t risen yet. Despite this, you manage to get ready and show up to school. Socially and academically, you become more tired and drained as the day goes by. Your stress levels and negative energy only increase by the impact of your surroundings.

This does not just apply to those who are stressed, but includes those who may feel drained socially. With the transition from online to in-person learning, it’s common for students to get exhausted from everyday interactions or tasks that they didn’t consider tiring before. 

Baruch student Nico Smarro, shares: “I can’t go a full day without feeling drained.”

Now, imagine if there was a moment in school to remove this negative feeling; a break to take a breath, to bring your head back to the present moment, reconnect yourself, and prepare yourself for the rest of the day. 

Research shows that taking a moment or including mindful energy techniques, such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga, crystals, and essential oils, into your school life can improve your mental health, your stress levels, and your overall positive well being. 

At times people emotionally hit a wall and that goal or ideal of having pure excitement and positive energy feels like it can never be achieved. Students’ mental health and their negative energies have increased a lot specifically with the changing of online to in-person school. 

iSchool science teacher Ms. Brown shares, “When we first came back in September and October I definitely saw there was a lot of excitement and energy, and towards the end of the quarter it went down and you saw stress levels go up and just the reality of being in school again.”

Some schools have not been putting in the effort to help their students and are not including helpful techniques for them to benefit from during the school day. “It’s like one endless marathon all day.” Midwood student Sterling Weber shares.

According to Mindful, “Children today are faced with an unprecedented amount of stress and anxiety—25% of 13- to 18-year-olds will experience an anxiety disorder according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.” Studies and statistics have proven that this is a fact. A majority of students’ anxiety and stress can come from school but also their own home life which means there is no break for their mental state or energy. 

Positive mindful energy techniques that could be used in schools can be incorporated into classes or made separate courses. It’s important to make these techniques available during school time as many students cannot or refuse to attend after school programs. It’s key to remember that these are teenagers and they may not have the motivation for outside school activities. 

Providing breaks for students between classes to breathe would be a simple and easy beneficial way of helping students. Creating and offering classes for students to practice yoga, meditation, and mindfulness could also be a smart choice in order to help students. Including some of these positive mindful energy practices in class projects or into a teaching method would be a great way to provide this benefit to all of the students. 

A google form was sent out in the iSchool to students asking about positive mindful energy techniques and their thoughts on them. 8 students of a variety of grades responded. Below are some of the questions included in the form below and the data :

If you’ve tried any mindful energy technique would you say it benefited you?

• 100% yes

Do you think there should be more modules or classes that focus on positive mindful energy techniques?

• 85.7% yes and 14.3% maybe 

If in school mindful energy techniques were offered to you, would you be interested?

• 71.4% yes and 28.6% no

Would you benefit from breaks in school perhaps to practice mindful energy  techniques?

• 85.7% yes and 14.3% no

If there was an opportunity in school to practice these positive mindful energy 

techniques do you think you would focus better and overall feel better?

• 71.4% yes and 28.6% maybe

Do you think positive mindful energy techniques could spark a change in keeping students positive and improving their mental health?

• 100% yes

When starting out the school day, some students may come in with negative energies or feeling depressed, and it’s important to recognize this. Positive mindful energy activities for all students in the school can bring positive energy throughout the day and may help kids and teenagers feel better emotionally and more prepared for the day. For some people school can be viewed as a negative place. This is because so many people are going to school carrying negative energy. Your energy whether positive or negative spreads to others. 

Studies have shown that schools that use positive mindful energy techniques in their classrooms have much better and efficient learning results. This is not just for high schools but also for college students and children.

Mindful Schools conducted a research study where they tested a positive mindful energy technique on both students and teachers to see how the mindfulness courses helped or didn’t help in schools and educating. There is not only research on students but also on teachers/educators because it affects both of them in different or similar ways. 

The results of the investigation all returned with high markings and percentages of how much mindfulness benefited educators and teachers. From the data, it can be inferred straight away that mindfulness helps both teachers and students. On the higher side, mindfulness students were able to improve emotional regulation and improve their focus. On the educators’ side, the higher results were that with mindfulness educators were able to report lower stress and greater self-compassion, connect better with students, and deliver curriculum with more ease.

There are not any low percentages in the results, which shows that mindfulness is a really beneficial technique for putting students (and educators) in a positive mindset,improving their overall mental health, and making sure the students don’t feel as stressed.

Mindfulness/Meditation Instructor, Shayna Wellington shares, “The level of stress that’s just like around all of us is oppressive. It’s so heavy. Everyone is scared, stressed and exhausted.” It’s important to recognize that everyone is going through a difficult time, especially right now with political and social issues. 

Positive mindful energy techniques are a wonderful and creative way of lifting and improving students’ mental health. Not only do they help with students’ mental health, but also with their behavior in school. 

There has been improvement in grades, better mood, and positive development in schools that incorporate mindfulness techniques. This has been proven scientifically by studies and also by individuals who practice mindfulness for themselves. 

Brian Wind from Insider writes, “Mindfulness helps increase self-awareness by increasing the ability to examine one’s thoughts and feelings without judgment, which ends up improving self-esteem.”

“‘Mindfulness is a powerful tool that supports children in calming themselves, focusing their attention, and interacting effectively with others, all critical skills for functioning well in school and in life,’” said Amy Saltzman, M.D., director of the Association for Mindfulness in Education.

Mindful energy techniques have always been practiced, but over the past years they have become more popular and proven to be effective and beneficial. Still today, many people, especially younger people are not educated on mindfulness techniques.

Mindfulness can be practiced in many different ways, some are considered easier (beginner) and harder (advanced) along with how you choose to understand the word mindfulness. Though it may seem simpler, a form of mindfulness is sitting still listening to music and being present in the moment with yourself. That is what mindfulness is all about, being focused and aware of yourself and your surroundings in the present moment.

Crystals are a more physical and object form of mindfulness. Though not as scientifically proven like the other mindfulness techniques, there have still been benefits of using crystals. Crystals have been shown to be like a support and comfort for those who are struggling. “Crystals are sometimes called on to support mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression,” says Meg Walters from Healthline.

Shayna Wellington discusses the benefits of meditation for teenagers: “Meditation gives teenagers space to really look inside and see what they’re really feeling and who they really are. It is also proven to help with depression and anxiety, which are increasingly common issues for teenagers. There are so many different methods and techniques that can help reduce stress and anxiety, including just simple breathing exercises that are proven to reduce your heart rate and relieve stress.”

Mindfulness is beneficial for a variety of ages. That’s one of the many reasons why it’s so amazing. 

9th grader, Maila Corea states on the topic of mindfulness breaks, “To focus on breaks you shouldn’t just focus on students because it’s teachers who are also going non-stop without a break.” 

Positive mindful energy techniques often help with mental illnesses and peoples’ responses, thoughts, and actions. The reason why these mindfulness techniques are so important for students is because they are faced with daily challenges that can affect the outcome of their day. 

Sherri Gorden from verywell family writes, “The practice of being mindful allows children and teens to cope with frustration when they are faced with something difficult in their lives.”

The question is, are they reliable? Can positive mindful energy techniques really help spark a change in mental health and energies? 

Health Harvard shares, “It’s hardly surprising that yoga also brings mental benefits, such as reduced anxiety and depression. What may be more surprising is that it actually makes your brain work better.”

As mentioned previously, Mindful Schools conducted their research on students and their results showed a 89% increase in improved emotional regulation, 83% improved focus, 76% increase of demonstrative compassion, and 79% improvement of engagement in school. 

Mindful energy techniques were often overlooked and ignored as there are other resources such as therapists and guidance counselors. The best way to approach teenagers and students mental health and energies is by using these mindful energy techniques. 

10th grader Nika Kaminski says, “It’s very hard for kids to open up because they just tend to shove it all away.” She follows up with, “They shouldn’t be told what to do, they have to get there by themselves.”

Trusting guidance counselors and being able to open up to somebody, especially being a teenager can be extremely difficult. Positive mindful energy techniques can be easier, relaxing, and more fun and effective. Practicing these techniques together will create a bond between students as they’re aware they’re in this together and not less than someone because of their mental health and energy. 

 “If we do mindfulness we can understand that we’re all not in the best place but we can get there together,” Kaminski shares. 

Mindfulness techniques have gone on for a while but were not trusted as much as they are now. They are now recently becoming popular around the world because of their benefits for mental health and energies, specifically in students and teenagers. After many practices and trends associated with this topic, they’ve become more recognized in many communities. Seeing real statistics and studies persuaded people to believe in these techniques and it started to become more admired and popular around the world and was seen as realistic and reliable. 

12th grader Lutece Guillemont shares her perspective on the topic of crystals, “I feel like crystals have kind of become a trend now and I think that there are actual ways that crystals can be beneficial and like people who actually have knowledge on what crystals mean is a very spiritual and amazing thing.”

If you use any social media, there is a great chance you have come across an ad, video, or post about positive mindful energy techniques. Mindfulness can be practiced in multiple ways, some more direct than others. On social media, teenagers may come across these mindful energy techniques often.

Schools have affected students’ mental health and energies by the stress and pressure put onto them. Though some places around the world are more helpful than others, there is still this constant anxiety and negative energies on students during school time and sometimes even after.

Positive energy is really important in creating a good environment for students, teenagers, and teachers to feel comfortable and happy in. Brooklyn Friends Student, Maia Wellington, shares an important fact that, “The reason why anything is negative at school is because of the students’ energy.”

The mental health and negative energies of students continues to be a national issue as there have been minimal actions and efforts taken to help students. Most schools offer guidance counseling, which can be helpful to some students, but many teenagers do not feel comfortable sharing openly. This is why students should be educated on mindful energy techniques so they can independently take care of themselves and their mental health. 

School typically makes most students wake up really early and stay inside for around 8 hours with the only break being lunch. Additionally, students have to work and take in lots of knowledge from each of their classes, which is overwhelming for the brain. 

Wellington shares one way how she approaches mindfulness meditation and a recommendation for other students and teenagers, “I have 1,162 days on this app, Insight Timer, and it has all these mindfulness courses, mindfulness for students, mindfulness for kids, and mindfulness for education.”

There’s multiple ways that mindfulness techniques can be included and offered to schools and education around the world as this struggle in teenager’s mental health and negative energies is not just a one person difficulty but a world problem. 

Shayna Wellington says, “The world needs more patience, compassion, less stress, more pausing and reflecting, more joy. People need to be reminded of the importance of the thoughts we have – and how for many people their thoughts don’t strengthen or empower them- we tend toward negativity, self-pity, jealousy and fear. We see what we don’t have instead of what we do. We think of things that hold us back and dampen our spirit.”

Positive mindful energy techniques are what is going to spark change in students’ mental health and their energies. 

If schools were to offer mindful energy techniques into classes or throughout the school day, students would learn how to regulate their emotions, deal with frustration and anxiety, have more self-control, be more calm, and feel less stressed throughout the school day and at home. 

With the switch from online to in person learning students and teenagers may be struggling with social interactions and how to interact with others in person again. Mindfulness is proven to help that and take away the worries of social interactions. Mindful Schools states that, “Mindfulness reduces feelings of stress and improves anxiety and distress when placed in a stressful social situation.” 

Students that were interviewed on positive mindful energy techniques all had positive reactions to the idea of mindfulness being offered throughout schools and how it can benefit students including themselves. 

12th grader Isannah Marley shares her experience and perspective with mindfulness: “Examining your emotions one by one or even just making sense of what you feel I think is one of the most important things you can do.” She follows up with ,“Anyone who is looking for something to keep them energized throughout the day or to keep them in check could find that really helpful and I think it’s important that we leave that option there because it could really help someone.”

Providing a mindfulness option for students as Isannah said would be incredibly helpful and beneficial for students, and they wouldn’t feel pressured to practice these techniques but work at their own pace and be independent as most teenagers like to do. Some schools have already taken action in using mindfulness throughout education. 

A study done by Mindful focused on the unpredictiment of stress and anxiety put on children and teenagers to see how they would benefit from mindful energy techniques and if they were reliable. Data proved, “Those trained in mindfulness scored higher in math, had 24% more social behaviors, and were 20% less aggressive.”

Yoga is a mindful energy technique that is a more physical practice of mindfulness. This year at the iSchool, a yoga and meditation module has been offered to students during school time, which has caught the attention of many students.

Playground Professionals investigated the benefits of yoga for teens and shared that, “Yoga aids in maintaining a calm nature, so that children don’t panic in stressful situations, rather they deal with them in a peaceful and thoughtful manner.”

Better focus and learning in schools can be improved by mindful energy techniques. Very Well Family proves, “Research shows that practicing mindfulness can improve attention spans for just about anyone—including young people with ADHD who often have trouble paying attention.”

9th grader, Maila Corea, shares on the topic of offering mindfulness breaks throughout the school day, “I think if students got even a five minute break to gather themselves and move on it would help them to focus more on what they’re learning next.”

From multiple researches and studies here are the listed benefits for students and teenagers because of positive mindful energy techniques :

• More student productivity
• Improved scores
• Better school performance
• Better focus and attention span
• Improved self care and self love
• More participation
• Less stress and anxiety
• Helps with depression
• Less aggression

Mindful shares an important and beneficial way to use positive mindful energy techniques in schools, “The best way to implement mindfulness is in an integrated way with social and emotional learning.” Incorporating mindfulness into school hours will make these necessary techniques more accessible to teenagers and students and will benefit more of the community. 

The use of positive mindful energy techniques is leading to improvements in students’ mental health and energies and more opportunities for these techniques throughout school days. There have already been uses of mindfulness in elementary school classrooms, which only gives more reason for them to be included in high schools where teenagers are struggling and stressed. 

“This should all be taught in school-I believe it’s as important as any other subject, if not MORE- if students are taught to focus better, to be able to understand their own needs, to be able to regulate their breath, energy levels, and more, they will be much more ready to learn and able to participate in classes. The more confidence they have, which will increase by doing these practices, the more they’ll want to engage in classes, the more they’ll take risks, etc,” Shayna Wellington shares. 

Hopefully, schools will begin incorporating positive mindful energy techniques into learning or throughout school time in order to create a more positive environment and atmosphere in schools along with having a positive influence on students’ mental health. 

“Once I started practicing mindfulness in everyday life and tried to be present in the moment, I just started actually enjoying what was going on,” says 10th grader Anastasia Sichel-Hahn. 

Positive mindful energy techniques have made a positive impact on students and teenagers who have practiced them. The goal for now and in the future is to make these techniques more accessible to students, specifically throughout the school day.

“By practicing mindfulness people really just get to sit with themselves and familiarize themselves with how their body reacts to different emotions and things,” Isannah says. 

Teenagers and students every day struggle with anxiety, depression, stress, and more. These are really hard emotions for anyone, specifically teenagers. These feelings can impact their learning, understanding, actions, behavior, and their overall lifestyle. 

Kaminski says, “It’s very hard for kids to open up because they just tend to shove it all away.” She follows up with, “I think that a lot of kids indulge in self-destructive behavior a lot of the time just stuff that isn’t good for them in any way… I think that mindfulness would allow kids to be more aware of what they’re doing and reevaluate what they are doing.”

If mindful energy techniques were offered to students throughout schools whether in breaks, advisory, or in classes, there would be a positive change in energy and mental health at school. These techniques can bring better focus, improved learning, less stress, and more. These are all skills that will improve a teenager’s mental health and their energy. If more students feel this weight of negativity taken off of their backs, there will be a more positive environment in schools, better education, and much better mental health for students.