Mindfulness for Kids

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is considered a “third-generation behavioral therapy” (Greco & Hayes, 2008). The primary areas that ACT addresses are behavior, similar to therapies that shape behavior using positive and negative reinforcement, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). ACT aims to alter the function of a person’s thoughts, feelings, and physical-bodily sensations. Rather than trying to change these internal experiences (thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations) like in CBT, ACT intends to change a person’s relationship with such experiences (Greco & Hayes, 2008). There are many nuances as to how ACT works to change an individual’s relationship with their experiences. One aspect is called “mindfulness.” Mindfulness has been adopted by numerous therapy modalities, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction, and has been shown to be effective for both children and adults (Greco & Hayes, 2008; Biegel, Brown, Shapiro, & Schubert, 2009; Öst, 2014). 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness means “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p. 4). Being mindful means to pay close attention to your surroundings, thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations on purpose (Greco & Hayes, 2008). It can be described as being curious about your experiences without adding judgment to such experiences, like thinking, “being anxious is the worst feeling ever.” By starting to become more mindful, an individual will start to identify thoughts and feelings associated with different experiences or objects they encounter (Semple & Lee, 2008). By doing so, an individual learns the power of their thoughts and feelings by noticing how they influence experiences. Being mindful can teach adults and children alike to experience emotions, feelings, and sensations objectively, which can be used as a coping skill when the experiences they are having are negative. Mindfulness also helps individuals notice the positive experiences in life more often. Mindfulness guides our attention to the present, which can reduce the amount of time we spend worrying about things that have already happened or things that will happen (Semple & Lee, 2008). 

Mindfulness Exercises for Children

Practicing mindfulness with children can help them to cope with unpleasant experiences, as well as have an increased awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. The more they are able to practice these skills, the better they will be at using mindfulness as a coping skill when needed. For example, when a child is upset, we can guide them to first notice where in their body they feel very angry, helping to delay or reduce yelling and other outbursts. Or when a child is feeling anxious about an upcoming change, we can have them complete a deep breathing exercise in order to help them stay in the present moment, rather than worrying about the future. Because mindfulness can be abstract, the following activities include concrete ways to teach these mindfulness strategies to children in developmentally appropriate ways:

Mindful Breathing: paying attention to your breath is the most basic, and often the initial, mindfulness practice (Semple & Lee, 2008). 

“Belly Breathing”: Children can place their hand on their belly, so that they can notice their hand moving up and down with each breath they take.

 “Square Breathing”: try this video that guides children to breathe in a square shape. 

Body Scan: although our thoughts might be in the past or the future, our bodies are in the present. Being aware of your body helps to ground you in the present (Semple & Lee, 2008)

Try this 3 Minute Body Scan for children and adults.  

Mindful Eating: this is a good task to notice how we often function without thinking (Semple & Lee, 2008). Mindful eating is also very concrete and a good place to start teaching children what mindfulness is. 

Raisins or chocolate are some of the most common foods to start mindfully eating. Use the mindful eating script on this website which can be used for any type of food. 

Taking a deep breath before eating and recognizing your hunger level before eating your meal can help you be more aware while eating. 

This TRAILS mindful eating handout made for teens can be helpful for mindful eating and also has a section on mindful meditation.

Mindful Listening: sounds evoke emotional responses and through mindful listening children start to understand that emotions are related to the meanings they give to particular sounds (Semple & Lee, 2008). By having your child share their thoughts and feelings and contrasting with someone else’s can help them notice that each person can have a different reaction to the same music. 

The TRAILS mindful listening worksheet is a great outline where children and teens can write down their reactions to different pieces of music. 

Mindful Touching: children can practice describing tactile sensations without judging or labeling them (Semple & Lee, 2008). For example, practice describing the texture, shape, temperature, weight, and so on, rather than making statements such as, “it feels gross” (Semple & Lee, 2008).  

Have your child close their eyes and describe a variety of interesting objects, such as: pinecone, sandpaper, piece of velvet, hairbrush, and a rubber toy (Semple & Lee, 2008).

The TRAILS Ice Cube Exercise is made to help teens get through strong emotions. The teen is asked to hold an ice cube and answer questions about their current experience. This exercise is best facilitated by a parent or teacher who can ask the questions aloud to them. 

For more resources that focus on coping skills, check out our blog on applications that can help children learn therapy skills- Therapy Skills on the Go: A comprehensive list of mobile apps to work on coping skills, organization, and social skills at home

Resources 

Biegel, G. M., Brown, K. W., Shapiro, S. L., & Schubert, C. M. (2009). Mindfulness-  based stress reduction for the treatment of adolescent psychiatric outpatients: A  randomized clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,   77(5),855–866. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0016241.

Fablefy- The Whole Child (2017, April 11). 3 minutes body scan meditation –  mindfulness for kids and adults. Retrieved from   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihwcw_ofuME

Fernando, R. (2011). Mindful eating [web document]. Retrieved from https://www.mindfulschools.org/personal-practice/mindful-eating/

Greco, L., & Hayes, S. (2008). Acceptance & mindfulness treatments for children &  adolescents: A practitioners guide. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger. Publications, Inc.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation for  everyday life. New York, NY: Hyperion. 

Öst, L. (2014). The efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 61,105–121. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.07.018

Semple, R., & Lee, J. (2008) Treating anxiety with mindfulness: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children. In L. Greco & S. Hayes (Eds), Acceptance &  mindfulness treatments for children & adolescents: A practitioners guide(63-88). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger. Publications, Inc. 

Stop, Breathe, & Think (2018, September 17). Kids meditation- square breathing (focus & calm). Retrieved from   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFdZXwE6fRE

University of Michigan Medical School (n.a.) TRAILS transforming research into action to improve the lives of students. Retrieved from https://trailstowellness.org