Physiology for Learning Diet, Exercise, Sleep, Stress Management, Mindfulness

“The motivations of man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived." What about humanity surprised the Dalai Lama? The Dalai Lama, Spiritual Leader of Tibet

Question: What Is Our Natural Tendency? Answer: Mindlessness. Mindlessness... behaves automatically without thinking; believes all our thoughts as if they’re telling the literal truth; reacts to situations based on emotions rather than rational thinking; gets stuck thinking about past and future. Key terms Mindlessness Mindfulness

What Does MindLESSness Look Like? Multi-tasking and missing what’s right in front of our faces acrossthekitchentable.blogspot.com tanyaanurag.blogspot.com

What MindLESSness Looks Like... Operating on autopilot and simply going through the motions sweeteyecandycreations.typepad.com

What MindLESSness Looks Like... TheHindsight is 20/20 letsenjoygaming.blogspot.com Behaving in ways we later regret

Mindfulness Defined “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, with an element of openness to the unfolding of experiences moment-by-moment.” --Kabat-Zinn, 2003 ww.thegraphicrecorder.com

Scientific Benefits of Mindfulness Practices Concentration and clarity in thinking Increased calmness More skillful ways to respond to difficult situations Increased empathy and understanding of others Decreased stress and anxiety Enhanced physical health

How Mindfulness Practices Work Mindfulness Practices: Purposeful attention to the present moment with a receptive attitude Awareness: Noticing what is happening within self, to others, and in surroundings Empowerment: Liberated from distressing thoughts and feelings and able to be calmer and think more clearly to make good decisions poyntercounseling.com

In General, Mindfulness is about resting in awareness of the present moment.

In General, Mindfulness is about not being trapped by uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.

In General, Mindfulness is about getting the most out of life by living in the now—not in the past and future. tabahnatorsworld.blogspot.com

In General, Mindfulness is about having greater mental clarity to make good decisions during difficult situations. parentingsweetspot.com

In General, Mindfulness is about better connecting with and understanding the needs of others. revvictoria.com

Awareness Is the Key Insight – awareness about one’s self (internal) Thoughts Values Feelings (tone) Emotions Physical sensations Outsight – awareness of others and our surrounding (external) Other’s feelings Other’s physical presence What others are doing How you’re being received The physical environment

Empowerment! Mindful awareness when practiced in a certain why results in empowerment: liberated from the prison of our thoughts and feelings increased confidence doing what matters most even when things aren’t going well Key term empowerment

Mindfulness Molecule Mindfulness Purposeful Awareness Receptive Attitude Intentionality/ Agency

Purposeful Awareness Paying attention on purpose to what is happening internally (that is, thoughts and feelings) and externally. Key Term Purposeful awareness

Receptive Attitude Being friendly to yourself and the experiences you encounter internally and externally What is the difference between a good friend and a bad friend?

Intentionality Choosing to do what’s most effective on purpose Intentionality helps develop personal agency, which is the confidence that arises when one realizes they have choices even when things are stressful or seem uncontrollable Key terms Intentionality agency abandoning-the-other/

Knowledge Check Take a moment to reflect 2. Why is mindfulness so important? a. So we don’t act on autopilot all the time and do things simply out of habit b. So we don’t miss important things that are right in front of our face c. To combat mindlessless, which occurs when we get stuck thinking about past and future stressors d. All of the above

Mindfulness-Based Practices Serve Two Purposes Mindfulness as a Facilitative Skill Used during difficult or challenging situations OR when it is important for you to be as effective as possible (teaching and parenting) Mindfulness as a Life De- Stressor Giving yourself a break from the fast-paced, on-the-go aspects of life mayawpaul.wordpress.com

Bring Your Awareness back to the Present Moment: Breathing is the Hub of Awareness Breathing is the hub of human awareness. Bring back your awareness by focusing on breathing. The facts about breathing: It never stops. It is always there operating outside of our awareness. If you didn’t do it, you wouldn’t be here.

Mindfulness Practices that Cultivate Awareness Mindful Breathing Mindful S.T.O.P. Mindful Daily Routine Mindful Eating Mindful Commute

Mindful Practice Activities: Mindful Breathing

Mindful S.T.O.P. Use during challenging or stressful situations important situations that require you to do the ‘effective’ thing and not the ‘mindless’ thing.

Mindful S.T.O.P. top... Stop envision a stop sign to take a pause and bring your awareness to the present moment.

Mindful S.T.O.P. Take a deep breath to purposefully draw your attention to your breathing and connect to the present moment

Mindful S.T.O.P. Observe and notice what is unfolding right NOW with a receptive attitude. What am I thinking? What am I feeling? What am I doing? What is the other person saying or doing?

Mindful S.T.O.P. Proceed Positively by choosing to do what’s most effective in the moment rather than what uncomfortable or impulsive thoughts and feelings are trying to tell you to do.

Mindful Practice Activities: Mindful Daily Routines Daily routines Getting out of and making the bed Putting on or changing clothes Brushing teeth Bathing/showering Combing hair/shaving Interacting with others

Mindful Eating

Mindful Commuting urbanmindfulness.org wannadrive.com

Summary We have a tendency to act mindlessly Mindfulness is about paying attention on purpose to the present moment with a open, receptive attitude Mindfulness is comprised of three inter-related sub-skills Purposeful awareness, receptive attitude, and intentionality Mindfulness-based practices serve two purposes: Facilitative skill to achieve greater mental clarity and better decision- making during stressful situations De-stressor Specific mindfulness-based practices include: Mindful Breathing Mindful STOP; Mindful Daily Routines; Mindful Eating; Mindful Commute

Mindfulness for Children MIND UP Mindful schools Mindfulness in education You tube, Hawn foundation Let’s watch:

Diet Exercise Sleep Diet Teach nutrition Correlate behavior with food Offer healthy snacks Keep logs Exercise Build into bonus points Variety of physical activities Keep Logs Sleep Hygiene Teach required sleep and effects of reduced sleep Keep logs: 30 min before bed, time in bed, time asleep, # times up in night, rate rest, rate affect daily