son , a Harvard physician , studied meditation and the effect on stress . His findings , published in his book “ The Relaxation Response ,” indicated that daily mindfulness practices , including breathing techniques , progressive muscle relaxation , meditation or visualization , can be helpful in reducing stress and related reactions , such as anxiety disorders .
In 1979 Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center developed a program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction ( MBSR ). Originally used to augment pain management , MBSR and mindfulness practices were shown to benefit many life and work factors , including emotional regulation , enhanced attention and reduced stress .
Daniel Goleman coined the term “ emotional intelligence ” ( EI ) in his seminal book of the same name , and in a 1998 article for the Harvard Business Review cited the benefits of EI in the workplace . Among his findings , he concluded that good leaders are distinguished by a high degree of emotional intelligence .
Mindfulness in schools on the rise
Success in school requires the use of executive functions such as attention , memory and impulse control . These neurodevelopmental abilities , which mature over time , can be positively or negatively affected by genetic ( nature ) or environmental ( nurture ) factors .
Teachers quickly recognize those students who need to improve their ability to attend , self-regulate , and manage the demands of a class environment . The practice of mindfulness has shown promise in providing students with skills to increase self-management of cognitive and emotional functioning related to school success .
The positive effect of mindfulness practices on learning and school functioning has been extensively studied . An overview of research examining the effects of mindfulness programs in education ( Campbell , 2014 ) reported positive results in improving anxiety management , reducing stress and improving social skills in students . Participants in the studies reported increased feelings of selfacceptance and improved self-regulation when practicing mindfulness .
Amy Saltzman , M . D ., in collaboration with the Department of Psychology at Stanford , studied the effects of mindfulness practices with fourth through seventh graders and their parents . The results showed that after one hour of mindfulness training for eight consecutive weeks , the children demonstrated increased ability to orient their attention , as measured by an attention network test .
Researchers from Oxford and University College London are currently studying the long-term effects of mindfulness training in schools . According to an interview with Dr . Matthew Brensilver , program director of Mindful Schools ( personal communication , Oct 3 , 2017 ), the Mindful Schools program has been used with more than 750,00 students nationally and internationally .
Dr . Brensilver suggested that schools previously exposed to social-emotional learning programs tend to be more open to mindfulness training . He stated , “ The intrinsic curiosity of teachers lends itself to interest in mindfulness .”
Some well known researchers have voiced concerns about the mindfulness craze . In an article entitled “ Don ’ t Believe the Hype ,” contributing editor Linda Heuman interviewed Dr . Catherine Kerr , a neuroscientist studying meditation at Brown University . Dr . Kerr stated that increased media reports often seemed to cherry pick studies with positive results . She called for a more balanced review of the science behind mindfulness .
Jon Kabat-Zinn in a recent panel discussion at the New York Society for Ethical Culture discussed the future of mindfulness and worried that the explosion of programs would result in “ watered down ” versions lacking scientific rigor . Mindfulness like all evidencebased programs , requires intentionality and commitment to fidelity to be successful .
Managing the school environment
School administrators have complex jobs . Research has found that principals commonly report high levels of stress related to the competing demands in meeting the educational , social and emotional needs of students and staff . Principals are frequently presented with new and unexpected issues that compete for their time and attention . January | February 2018 29