Page 12 - Revista

ELITETEACHERS

MINDFULNESS:

TOWARDS
TEACHERS'

WELLBEING

By Estefanía Blanco

As the Christmas holidays approach, New Year’s resolutions begin to show up. Christmas is often a
time of personal reflection for us, when we think about what can be improved in the new year to
come. But for teachers, it is also a time to think about the first term of the school year.

Teachers do not usually have time to think about their teaching practice and their own well-being
while working. The daily activity in schools gets pretty busy when you are in charge of 30 students
each hour. However, in order to be a good teacher, it is important to take time to care about oneself.
In today’s article, we talk about Dr. Ana Oswalt about the benefits of practicing mindfulness as
teachers.

“Mindfulness is about reflecting on our own health and look after ourselves to increase well-being,”
explains Dr. Ana Oswalt. “Teachers who introduce mindfulness in their daily routine, soon enjoy the
benefits of it by being more organized, enjoying better mental health and being more resilient.”
Moreover, their capacity to manage stress improves significantly and they become more attentive
and better communicators.

Dr. Ana Oswalt is an educational psychologist expert in mindfulness. Among the many different
branches of mindfulness (mind-body management, meditation, health promotion, etc.) she has
specialized herself in mindfulness-based stress management. According to her, mindfulness can be
compared to meditation, but if we go to its roots, it is a way of being. For Dr. Ana Oswalt, in order to
be mindful we need to train our mind and body altogether. “We need to pay attention to the present,
to the moment we are living and to what is happening now. We must also keep a good attitude,
acceptance and tolerance are mandatory while observing what surrounds us,” comments Dr. Oswalt.

Dr. Ana Oswalt states that teachers are now more interested in mindfulness than 5 years ago.
“Mindfulness research is becoming increasingly popular in education as it helps both teachers and
11 students”. In fact, research shows that through the practice of mindfulnesss, students and teachers
build stronger relationships, they communicate more efficiently and they pay more attention in class.
NOVEMBER 2019 | ISSUE 05 Before getting ready for school in the morning, devote some time for you. Practice 5 to 15 minutes of

For those who want to get started in the practice of mindfulness, here there are some tips:

meditation before you start your day and head to school.

Then, after your day of work, repeat the meditation as soon as you get home.

During the morning, teachers do not usually have time to meditate, but try to allow yourself 30
seconds between classes to center yourself, walk quietly and breathe.