If you were here at Lafayette last year, you would know that there has been a new addition to our morning announcements. The Pledge of Allegiance and daily news are now accompanied by the Mindful Minute.

Mrs. Howard comes on the intercom each morning and leads the Mindful Minute. Usually students are asked to breathe in a certain pattern or to listen to a certain sound. After a minute or so is up, daily announcements continue, and students move on with their day.

It’s no secret that responses to the Mindful Minute are mixed. Some students participate, some sit quietly and respectfully, a few continue talking and using their phones, and a couple even make fun of it. A lot of students take this morning meditation as a joke. But why? If utilized, the Mindful Minute could be an integral tool to helping you thrive during the school day.

Increased Attention

Meditation has been shown to increase your attention and make incoming information more clear. Let’s say your alarm goes off a little later than usual one morning and you don’t get to drink your iced coffee. Maybe the Mindful Minute isn’t as delicious as your drink, but it will still help you get into the zone and allow you to focus.

Reduce Anxiety

Along with helping you pay attention, the Mindful Minute may help you reduce your anxiety. The number of students with anxiety is on the rise, and morning meditation may be a step in helping to manage it. Meditation is proven to lower your blood pressure (which may not be a big deal right now, but a lot of adults seem to really appreciate it). Along with this, meditation also reduces your heart and breathing rate, which seems scary, but it’s actually helpful. Especially since both high heart and breathing rates are associated with a stress response.

Improve Grades

That test you’re taking 3rd block? You’ll perform better if you’re focused and less stressed. And guess what? That’s what meditation can do for you! No student can say that they wouldn’t like to do better on a test. Along with making you more attentive and calm, the mindful minute can help your confidence by clearing out the doubtful thoughts in your head. Feeling sure of yourself is a key step to performing well in school.

So, next time you or a friend is laughing at being asked to touch your nose or take a deep breath, remember what it can do for you. The Mindful Minute has endless benefits that every student should take advantage of.