Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 1

Transcription

1 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 1 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth Chris Koski CSUMB

2 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 2 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth The youth of America are being raised in an environment in which overstimulation has become a norm, harming the physical, mental, and emotional health of children and teenagers who do not have the knowledge to deal with this state of existence. Overstimulation occurs when the body is presented with too much information for the senses of hearing, sight, smell, taste, or touch to deal with. Not only is overstimulation affecting these kids health, but it is also having a profoundly negative effect on the ability of young people to learn. Mindfulness, which is a rising practice in the field of physical and mental health, is the mental state where one is tuned in with the present moment, while recognizing and accepting whatever emotions or thoughts arise. Because kids are living extremely over-stimulated lives, a situation that is unlikely to change anytime soon, without being taught the psychological tools to deal with the resulting strong pressures on the mind body, the solution to this problem is to incorporate the practice of mindfulness into the public school system. The Problem Children and teenager s inadequate ability to cope with overstimulation is harming the process of their learning as well as their physical, emotional, and mental health. Many of the stimulations people encounter, come from the situations and activities we surround ourselves with throughout each day. Stimuli that can cause overstimulation do not just stem from the electronic life many people have now become accustomed to. Rather as Elmarie Swanepoel (2013), instructor and profiler for Mind Moves Institute states, There are many environmental elements that impact an individual. Examples of these elements are urbanization, crowding, noise, mass media,

3 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 3 science and technology, and the explosive growth of information (3). Particularly in the United States, the amount of time all of these elements occupy in an average child s life has grown significantly. This is important because there are many more stimuli in kids lives now than ever before, and as a result their mental processes are also getting hurt more than ever too. As the daily newspaper from California s state capital, The Sacramento Bee s (1997) research has indicated that, The average youth will spend 900 hours a year in school and 1,500 hours watching TV (1). At this point in time American children have easy access to a wide range of strong stimuli, yet these kids lack the decision-making skills to recognize when to separate themselves from an intense environment before overstimulation occurs. Stimulation is a necessary part in the processes of learning where the more senses that the particular information activates, the clearer the perception is for the brain. Swanepoel supports her point by adding, Writer of The Metropolis and Mental Life, Simmel writes about an urban scenario of constantly appearing stimuli that trigger the brain s senses. He writes about a barrier that must protect the individual from this constant stimulation in order to keep one sane (4). Once the point of overstimulation has occurred, the body then depletes itself of energy from its energy reserves. Especially now days when kids are on the Internet, or phones every last minute they can squeeze in before school, their resulting physical and mental state is not primed for effective learning. As a newspaper article in The Sacramento Bee claims, Kids whose appetite for external stimulation has reduced their attention spans while leaving their brains lethargic and passive. It does not produce an environment conducive to learning (1). In other word, kids are being so strongly influenced by stimulations coming from electronics, that

4 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 4 when they are finally at school their body is not in the right state to retain the information being taught. Not only does overstimulation strongly affect children s ability to learn, their own personal development is also profoundly impacted too. As journalist for The Daily Telegraph, Lucy Cavendish (2010) states, Creativity is disappearing. Children expect to be entertained, so they don't build up their imagination (1). By having so much easily accessible entertainment around, kids are losing the desire to use their imagination. As a result of this kids are losing lots of their ability to be creative during a period of life where they have time to fantasize and invent games independently. The loss of imagination is one of the most detrimental impacts to their entire youth if not their lives. A large part of this stems from the daily schedule kids choose, where they go from the Internet to school to friends, homework, or scheduled activities, to video games to the television and finally to bed, where they leave no time for the development of their own selves. Marriage and Family Counselor Doris Helmering (1998) claims, A child does not really get to know himself because he has little time to reflect on himself and no time to quietly kick back and dream (1). How are kids supposed to grow as people, if they are never taking the time to get to know themselves? Not only are children not learning about themselves, but also their minds develop so that they come to expect a life of constant stimulation. According to Helmering, If a child is raised in an environment where he or she is continually being pushed and pulled from one activity to another, or the child is continually being bombarded with loud music, fighting siblings and the constant chatter of television or music blaring from the radio, a child will come to expect constant stimulation (1). Clearly children s lives are negatively impacted from the huge amount

5 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 5 of stimulation they encounter in daily life. The longer this chaotic lifestyle goes on, the more it will grow, and the more it will have an impact on the country. The Solution Incorporating the practice of mindfulness into the public school system is essential to help kids achieve the correct mindset to learn and stay healthy. A feasible plan would be to have the practice become a daily routine where a ten-minute mindfulness meditation session or mindfulness activity based on grade level occurs at the start of the school day and after lunch. This system provides children the opportunity to transition from their over-stimulated state of mind to collecting themselves mentally and achieving better focus before class starts and academic information is taught. Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist Karen E. Hooker s (2008) states in her article about teaching children mindfulness that, In teaching mindfulness to children, it is important to start with success, so starting simply is better. For example, while an adult might start trying to meditate for 15 minutes, it would be more appropriate for a child to start with five minutes (9). Because it takes such little time to incorporate mindfulness into the day, it will not have a significant impact on the length of the children s school day or the amount of academic material taught throughout the year. Remarkably, the amount of time it takes for children to gain the benefits of mindfulness is very short. Academic Administrator at Miami Dade College Patricia Carbonell s (2012) research had indicated, Yet another study showed evidence of improved stress regulation, decreased anxiety, depression and anger, and accelerated decrease of the stress-causing cortisol hormone levels in Chinese undergraduates after only 5 days of meditation (5). If only five days were required to subsequently make a significantly positive difference in these students

6 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 6 lives, imagine the positive impact it could have on children doing it consistently throughout years of practice could be astronomical. The practice of mindfulness is incredibly adaptable and can be applied to almost anyone. In the School of Nursing at University of Massachusetts Kathryn Proulx s (2003) article on integrating mindfulnessbased stress reduction (MBSR) asserts that, In addition to reducing day-to-day stress, mindfulness meditation or practice can be beneficial for people experiencing a wide range of physical and psychological illnesses in diverse life situations. MBSR can be offered to heterogeneous groups and is readily adapted to various settings (1). In making this comment Proulx insists that no matter who it is, or where it is being practiced, mindfulness can be incorporated into the system in place with ease, resulting in significant positive impacts for the target group. There are many benefits to mindfulness, all of which can greatly improve children s day-to-day life. The biggest benefits focus on the child s readiness to learn, academic improvement in school and the improvement in physical and mental health. In another study based on the intervention of mindfulness into urban youth, Director of Mental Health at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Tamar Mendelson (2010) states, Mindfulness practices are also reported to have positive effects on physical and mental health, such as reducing mood and anxiety disorders, distress, and blood pressure. (2). The benefits in mental and physical health stem from mindfulness s ability to decrease stress by improving one s strength in control, coping, and adapting to the environment. Proulx herself writes, By relating more objectively to this stress they could more readily accept their experience in the moment, maintain a higher degree of relaxation, cope more effectively, and adapt more flexibly to change (5). By simply

7 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 7 learning how to experience the moment one is in, the mind allows itself to de-stress, therefore improving one s overall health. Less stress in kids lives will not only improve their health, but it will also allow for kids to more readily adapt to being in a mental state ready for learning. In connection with improving kid s health from a state of overstimulation, mindfulness has been shown to largely increase one s focus after incorporating the practice. Studies show that the connection between school achievement and mindfulness is easily seen. In John Hopkins School of Medicine Professor Erica M.S. Sibinga s (2011) study of the incorporation of mindfulness based stress reduction in urban youth she found, Doing better in school appeared to be connected to reduced stress, increased concentration, and greater confidence Others discussed how being more present as a result of MBSR techniques helped them to concentrate on their work, rather than zoning out (4). Sibinga s point is that just a simple seemingly minor change can make a significant change in a student s ability to focus. By increasing focus the brain is allowed to achieve higher quality work, and display improved ability at analyzing the current situation. In Surgeon, author, and New York Times columnist, Pauline W. Chen s (2013) article about a study of incorporating mindfulness into doctors practices she claims, Mindfulness gives doctors permission to attend their own health and well-being But it also allows doctor to help patients by listening more, talking less, and seeing what the patient needs (3). In other words, Chen shows that the practice of mindfulness results in an increased quality of work, ability to listen with attention, and ability to analyze what a person is hearing. With the combination of benefits from increasing physical, mental,

8 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 8 and emotional health, to increasing one s ability to do well in school, mindfulness has been shown to yield many extremely beneficial results. Justification Currently there is a strong need for mindfulness training in the public education system, where many students arrive at school overly stimulated and highly stressed from day-to-day life. Increases in the number of kids in our nation s classrooms who experience poor physical health and low academic success are unsettling. Sibinga agrees when she writes, Many urban youth in the United States experience inevitable and unremitting stresses, including poverty, failing school systems, and exposure to community and interpersonal violence (1). Sibinga s point is that many youth in this country regularly experience extreme stresses in and out of school and as a result these kids are desperately in need of tools to cope and relieve themselves of this stress. By teaching students how to identify these stresses and how to process stress-related emotion, allowing kids to realize the possible alternative to a life full of stress, it is clear that mindfulness-based stress reduction education is a proven way to help. In focusing on the impact of the social and emotional difficulties happening in many children s lives Mendelson goes on to state, Those disparities persist and are part of a pathway leading to high rates of poor academic performance, school dropout, and negative social outcomes among socioeconomically disadvantaged youth (1). For too long the public school system has left these problems in the hands of others, but times are changing. Increasingly schools seek new ways to collaborate with families and the community to improve the emotional development of students. This transition shows that there is a definite need and place in the schools for a system such as incorporating mindfulness

9 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 9 skills education into the curriculum to help these children. Mindfulness is the system that is needed, because it has been proven to help in some of the most common and serious causes of behavioral and academic problems among youth in school. Mendelson supports this claim by stating, Interventions involving meditation with youth have been reported to reduce distress, anxiety, and emotional and behavioral reactivity and improve selfawareness and sleep among youth (2). All of these benefits that are outcomes of mindfulness have positive impacts on children s school achievement, and daily life by counteracting the amount of overstimulation in these kids lives. An extremely significant benefit that will make the incorporation of MBSR easy and acceptable to incorporate into the public school system is mindfulness qualities of being easily adaptable and nondiscriminatory. First, mindfulness training has been shown to be successful in almost any setting in which it is practiced. According to Proulx, MBSR programs can be adapted and modified to most effectively and efficiently meet the needs of specific individuals (7). Schools can serve as a prime location for mindfulness teaching, given the simple classroom structure and numerous people that complements mindfulness track record of being easily adapted to various populations and settings. Another very important aspect of mindfulness is that for anyone who attempts practicing it, the result will always be some kind of meaningful experience. Proulx claims, It is impossible to fail at mindfulness practice if one is willing to bring whatever one is experiencing into the field of awareness (1). Unlike other techniques tried by the school system to improve focus, such as giving rewards or incorporating easy going activates such as painting, not all students can be impacted by the technique, however with mindfulness everyone is.

10 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 10 An important component of the incorporation of mindfulness training in the public school system is determining how the practice will be carried out in and out of class to maximize benefit to the students. After his own studies, Proulx found that one of the best ways to carry out mindfulness practice is with a special configuration of the practice. He states, The format is skill based and psycho-educational with considerable in-session experience and discussion (Proulx1). By having the experience be uniquely independent for each student, it allows each student to experience his own self, however it is then important for the students to talk about that experience with their peers and teachers to help express themselves and any thoughts that may be bothering them. Also, to further the MBSR experience and influence of the teachings and experiences, teachers can give students exercises to be done at home too. Proulx goes into more detail by asserting, Daily homework exercises largely involve the practice of formal sitting meditation, body scan, walking meditation, earing meditation, and yoga guided by audiotapes (1). Practice at home will help children further by having it serve as a more consistent part of their day-to-day life. This will help reinforce what was learned in school by reminding them of the positive experiences that simply living can give them, without the need of stimulation for happiness or pleasure. Children enjoy it when they realize what they are doing is right, and when they acknowledge that a certain behavior puts them in the right they tend to do more of that behavior because they are happy. In regards to mindfulness this process of strengthening the emotional parts of a child s brain can be highly useful to increasing the happiness and healthiness of a child s entire life. Proulx explains this thought further by stating, Mindfulness meditation is oriented toward what is right with people and aims to nurture

11 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 11 and strengthen innate human capacities for relaxation, awareness, insight, and behavior change (1). As a result of using a process of focusing on what is right with people, public schools can help kids gain more confidence in themselves and their work. By having kids feel better about discussing ideas that otherwise they would feel shy to share, higher participation in class activities and, more interest in class will result leading to overall improvements in many students academic careers. By sparking confidence and happiness in kids, the results continually show that these skills learned though mindfulness training legitimately helps them in their day-to-day lives. Mendelson states, Responses indicated that students generally had a positive experience in the program and felt they learned skills that helped them in their day-to-day lives (5). After students have experienced the practice of mindfulness, they tended to like it and felt it was a positive influence in their lives. When kids identify with positive things they tend to attach to those things and incorporate them more regularly into their lives. By incorporating mindfulness techniques as life skills, kids will live more positive lives, affecting their school success, and health. At the same time, the awareness of self will help kids be more likely to stay away from doing other activities that involve overstimulation. After the practice of mindfulness has been incorporated into people s lives studies show, Participants experienced an interactive learning cycle between skill development (formal meditation), application of skills in daily life (informal meditation), and a perception of self that functions as a self-motivating force, fostering continued skill development after the intervention (5). Proulx s point is that after doing the practice, even if the practice has not been continued, the benefits of mindfulness can still could be seen in people s skill development. This aspect of mindfulness is key because if kids are

12 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 12 able to practice mindfulness during the week, the benefits will not be lost over the weekend or even over long breaks such as summer. An extremely important factor to consider when evaluating how well mindfulness practice can be incorporated into the public school system and its benefits can be gained depends on how attractive the practice is to the people in the school system. Studies so far have found that those in the school systems that have incorporated the practice have been extremely attracted to mindfulness-based stress reduction. According to Mendelson, Findings suggest the intervention was attractive to students, teachers, and school administrators and that it had a positive impact on problematic responses to stress including rumination, intrusive thoughts, and emotional arousal. (1). Because the staff and students in the school system have experienced such a positive impact from the practice, kids and teachers alike will have a desire to use MBSR. Mendelson takes this thought further when he claims, Responses indicated that students generally had a positive experience in the program and felt they learned skills that helped them in their day-to-day lives (5). The attractiveness of the practice is important to the effectiveness of its incorporation into schools because if the practice has no desire to be done, the benefits will not show. Overstimulation has been found to have a profoundly negative effect on children s lives, and now is the time to make a change for the better. By incorporating the teaching of mindfulness-based stress reduction into the public school system, we can achieve that change in a timely, cost effective manner. With its strong ability to help kids achieve more in school and improve their lives outside of school, mindfulness has proved to be the best option. It is essential to the children of our country to learn how to succeed

13 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 13 in school, deal with the challenges of growing up, and go throughout their lives knowing how to be stimulated yet not overloaded.

14 Mindfulness: The Solution to Over Stimulated Youth 14 Resource Page Attention span how tv produces overstimulated, underactive kids: Metro final edition. (1997). The Sacramento Bee, FO.4. Carbonell, P. (2012). International mindfulness instructional design.academic Research International,3(1), Cavendish, L. (2010). It's bedlam at bedtime: Lucy cavendish on a report that children are going short of sleep.the Daily Telegraph, 25. Chen, P., (2013). Easing Doctor Burnout With Mindfulness. New York Times. Retrieved from doctor- burnout- with- mindfulness/?_r=0 FoDoR, I. E., & Hooker, K. (2008). Teaching mindfulness to children. Gestalt review, 12(1), Helmering, D. (1998). Take this quiz to see if kids are overstimulated: Five star lift edition. St. Louis Post - Dispatch, E.4. Mendelson, T., Greenberg, M., Dariotis, J., Gould, L., Rhoades, B., et al. (2010). Feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a school-based mindfulness intervention for urban youth. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(7), Proulx, K. (2003). Integrating mindfulness-based stress reduction. Holistic Nursing Practice, 17(4), Sibinga, E., Kerrigan, D., Stewart, M., Johnson, K., Magyari, T., et al. (2011). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for urban youth. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.),17(3), Swanepoel, E., (2013). The Impact of Sensory- Overstimulation. Mind Moves Institute. Retrieved from mulation_elmarieswanepoel.pdf