Have you ever heard of the term “mindfulness”?
It refers to increasing your self-awareness of your own emotions and thought processes without judgment.
Mindfulness can better help one withstand negative or troubling emotions like stress, boredom, or anxiety.
These are emotions that plenty of children feel in school. Unfortunately, this can get in the way of not only learning, but socializing as well.
There are plenty of techniques for increasing mindfulness.
However, one such technique that is perfect for the classroom is introducing a calm corner.
What Is a Calm Corner?
A calm corner is a designated area in a home or classroom where people of all ages can go to, well, “calm down.”
Whenever any emotions, such as excitability or irritability, get in the way of learning, a trip to the calm corner is done to help get a handle on these feelings.
Doing breathing techniques can be a great method for calming down.
The point of a calm corner is that it allows you to enter a physical space that feels separate from the environment you were having trouble in.
This physical change is conducive to mentally achieving a better state of mindfulness.
Get Kids Involved with the Calm Corner’s Set-Up
If you want to get your students interested in the calm corner, an easy way to do this is to allow them to play a big role in designing the calm corner.
If they like how it looks and what is there, then they are going to be more likely to want to use it during the school day.
Encourage kids to continually bring decorations and additions to the calm corner. This can include drawings or things that could be considered mindfulness tools, such as a squeeze toy.
We recommend starting with a calm corner kit that can serve as the foundation of the calm corner. Allow kids to help it grow from there.
Bringing a Time Timer Product Into the Calm Corner
Of course, students can’t spend a half hour in the calm corner. Having a Time Timer visual timer in the calm corner can help keep students focused in the calm corner.
As a teacher, having a larger Time Timer specially made for shorter time periods can help.
Setting, say, a Time Timer PLUS visual timer can create a sense of structure and purpose in visitors to the calm corner.
Specifically, the Time Timer PLUS 5 Minute visual timer and the Time Timer PLUS 20 Minute visual timer are perfect for this purpose.
More Great Time Management Products from Time Timer
Hopefully this article has provided you with some insight for helping your students achieve a greater state of mindfulness during their schooling.
Time Timer products have been essential for creating success in homes and classrooms around the world, with a variety of uses for Time Timer products for people with special needs.
Check out the rest of the Time Timer products, which includes the Time Timer Wash, a great handwashing aid for creating a healthier school or home environment.