Two weeks prior to school starting, a group of Houston middle school teachers met at Baylor College of Medicine’s campus, where we, the three authors, led a workshop to equip middle school teachers with new knowledge of mindfulness interventions. Teachers, who also manage their own life stressors, are often the first to respond when students face emotional distress. Together, we discussed how mindfulness is invaluable in supporting the mental well-being and emotional health of students and teachers alike.

Mindfulness – defined as being present while non-judgmentally observing one’s thoughts, feelings, and physical experiences – can be practiced anytime and anywhere by using a wide array of techniques. For our mindfulness work, we used diaphragmatic breathing (to nudge the body from sympathetic “fight or flight” to parasympathetic “rest and digest”) and a guided imagery exercise called “Leaves on a Stream,” in which thoughts were non-judgmentally acknowledged and gently placed on passing leaves to float away. No judgement, just noticing and letting go of thoughts.

Teachers then divided into small groups to discuss and share their experiences with mindfulness in their personal lives and school days. When could they practice and use mindfulness? Before the first bell, after a chaotic lunch, ahead of a final exam? While answers varied, it was widely agreed that consistency of practice mattered most.

Mindfulness Matters

Clinically – and practically – mindfulness matters. Mindfulness has been linked with lower stress reactivity and better emotion regulation, attention, and executive function in youth (Carsley et al., 2018). Nonjudgmental awareness helps students relate to difficult emotions without either suppressing them (i.e., internalizing) or getting swept away by them (i.e., externalizing, acting out) (Hayes & Feldman, 2004). School-based programs and mindfulness interventions show promise across study designs, though quality varies, with the strongest effects seen when practices are brief, consistent, and embedded in routines (Phan et al., 2022). Mindfulness can also support behavior change by strengthening awareness of cues and automatic habits, which can be useful for teens navigating social media, sleep difficulties, and general anxiety (Schuman-Olivier et al., 2020).

Mindfulness in the School Day

What could mindfulness practically look like in a typical day for teachers and students? It could be observing the feeling of morning sunshine on the way to school, a few settling breaths to start class, a 60-second/five- senses check, or two minutes of guided imagery before an exam. For students who arrive dysregulated from carrying family stress, social friction, or performance anxiety, these small practices offer a reliable on-ramp back to learning.

Becoming proficient at mindfulness, like anything, takes practice. And fortunately, dozens of motivated educators gained a time and space to do just that – practice. They took time to slow their breath, share their experiences, and depart with at least two mindfulness skills to implement for themselves and their students. After the seminar, we were reminded of the compassion and energy required to care for our child and adolescent patients and their families. The best care really does take a village. And while a mindful minute may not solve every problem, it just might be the first step toward a better solution.