Mindfulness can be an effective tool for controlling emotions, including anger. Teaching mindfulness to students will enable them to deal with their feelings safely and in an healthy manner.
Start a mindfulness practice in your classroom with 1-minute exercises. Studies show that regular short meditations offer similar benefits as longer practices.
1. Breathing Exercise
Breathing is something most of us take for granted as it occurs automatically to ensure our survival, yet paying more attention to our breath can have a powerful effect on both our mood and how we deal with stressful situations. Additionally, deep breathing exercises at bedtime have been shown to produce higher levels of melatonin which promotes relaxation before sleep occurs.
Many mindfulness meditation practices utilize breathing-based exercises such as “follow your breath” and alternate nostril breathing to facilitate meditation practice. They should typically be carried out in a quiet and comfortable space such as on the floor or seated comfortably in a chair; starting out small with short sessions before gradually increasing repetitions until finding what works for you is advised.
Pursed lip breathing or 4-7-8 breath is a straightforward yet powerful exercise designed to reduce anxiety and stress. Typically performed while sitting up straight with back straightened, but can also be done lying down as soon as it becomes familiar to you. Begin this exercise by placing the tip of your tongue against the tissue behind upper front teeth then inhale slowly through your nose counting four before holding breath for seven counts then exhaling completely with a “whoosh” sound before inhaling once more slowly through nose then exhale all inhalations through nose before exhaling completely through nose with an exhalation sound then exhaling fully through nose to a final count four before inhaling all through nose to an exhale complete exhale through nose inhale through nose count seven counts seven count of four then exhale completely through nose before exhaling entirely through nose before exhaling through nose to inhale slowly through nose to complete an inhale through nasal passageways with slow breathe-in then exhale through nose until out into breathing out again through nose until out completely through nasal passageway then exhale through open airway for seven counts to “whoosh”.
Progressive muscle relaxation is another simple breathing technique, in which each muscle group in your body – from feet up – is tensed and then relaxed, beginning with your feet and progressing up through chest, belly, fingers, shoulders, neck, face and jaws. Research has indicated that deep breathing techniques like this stimulate the vagus nerve in our brains which has an immediate positive effect on mood and stress response.
2. Body Scan
Body scan meditation can be an excellent way to release physical tension you might not even be aware of. Furthermore, scanning each part of your body helps identify physical cues when an emotion arises allowing for more mindful responses in future.
To do this exercise, begin by finding an easy position – lying down is ideal but sitting with straight back also works well. Close your eyes and start with your feet by paying attention to any sensations such as relaxation, tension or tingling; continue this pattern through legs, arms, neck and shoulders until reaching head – taking time at the end to observe how everything feels collectively.
Body scan meditation is a nonjudgmental body awareness practice designed to help individuals learn to accept difficult emotions without fighting against them. Like all mindfulness exercises, this form of body awareness meditation works best when practiced regularly – set aside at least 20 minutes each day in your calendar to do this exercise!
Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of regular body scan meditation to lower cortisol levels – the stress hormone released when one becomes angry – which are found in high amounts. High cortisol levels have many health implications including difficulty focusing and weakening immunity systems, leading to further stress and anger cycles that become increasingly hard to break through. By contrast, practicing body scan meditation regularly can significantly lower cortisol levels in as little as eight weeks (Schultchen 2019) making this an easy and effective method to combat stress and anger!
3. Deep Seeing
Mindfulness techniques such as observing your thoughts and emotions without judgment can help manage anger effectively. By slowing your body’s reaction to stress, this practice aims to bring everything back into balance – and become more aware of any thoughts and emotions, such as anger. With practice comes awareness; then comes changing or letting go.
Close your eyes and focus on the details of a scene: water colors, mountain heights and bird songs are all worthy subjects for deep seeing practice. Breathe slowly and deeply as you observe each inhale/exhale through chest/ribcage breathing cycles – when an angry thought enters, return your focus back onto breathing; focus on each breath detail by simply breathing again! If any unpleasantness arises in response, bring it back around by returning your focus onto breaths – the lessening anger would be more easily dealt with!
Other mindfulness exercises include tightening each muscle group in your body as tightly as possible or moving to the rhythm of your heartbeat. Children can try blindfolded movement or “heartbeat yoga” to sharpen their senses and learn how to quiet their minds (Roman, 2015).
Integrate visualization into your mindfulness meditation. A straightforward way of doing so is to close your eyes and envision yourself relaxing on a tranquil beach or mountain retreat – focus on the color of the water, length of mountains and sounds of birds chirping.
As a teacher, our mindfulness worksheets and activities can be an excellent way to teach your students coping mechanisms for controlling their anger. Our positive affirmation coloring sheets, poster, and calming breaths worksheet all serve as great mindful breaks between classes or in quiet corners within your classroom.
4. Deep Listening
At times it can be easy to be distracted while someone is speaking; we may daydream, plan replies, become judgmental or interrupt with self-centered questions. Deep Listening was popularized by avant-garde composer and hippy theorist Pauline Oliveros as a way of silencing that noise and listening with our entire bodies instead. “By ‘listening’ I mean concentrating all your senses to every sound and vibration in the air,” Oliveros once explained, so “full body listening” truly means full body listening!
Deep Listening goes beyond learning how to focus our attention on individual sounds; it involves understanding their source and effect. Oliveros was a pioneer of electronic music who explored how sound waves interact on an incomprehensible musical scale that extends far beyond human hearing capabilities.
At this type of listening, the goal is to clear your mind of any preconceptions and hear whatever comes your way without filtering what you hear with anything from your previous experiences or biases. This skill can help with difficult conversations or situations such as when someone upsets you; additionally, this skill can help manage anger more quickly because, as we learned through breathing exercises, emotions tend to rise quickly when thoughts become disorganized.
For adults looking to hone this skill, there are numerous activities you can participate in to practice this ability. Blissful Kids offers a “Safari” exercise which turns any ordinary walk into an adventure search for animals: instruct your kids to look out for anything that walks, crawls or flies and ask them to be mindful of all that they see as well as discuss how focusing on all five senses can help stay present in each moment.
5. The Five Senses Exercise
Mindfulness exercise can be an excellent way to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and worry. By helping regulate emotions by reminding us to focus on things we see, feel, hear, smell and taste (Arch & Craske 2006), this technique has proven extremely useful in therapy sessions for borderline personality disorder patients as well as anyone looking for ways to cope and relax (Arch & Craske, 2006).
Begin this exercise by finding a quiet place to sit or lie down, closing your eyes, taking several deep breaths, and centering yourself before beginning this exercise. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths as you focus on five items visible outside – perhaps the golden hue of the sun, vivid green leaves, or soft fabric of your chair may all come into focus as you begin this practice. Once five items have been noted visually, move onto four items that can be touched such as your phone screen cooling sensation or jeans surface smoothness or warm mug filled with coffee beans! Finally focus on one thing you hear such as your own breathing or feet hitting ground rhythmically as you walk and finally two things you smell such as flowers or coffee grounds!
Once you’ve explored your senses, conclude your exercise by focusing on something you can taste. Sip of water or chew a piece of gum as a reminder that there are positive aspects in life. This exercise can be an excellent way to refocus attention and bring you back into the present; plus it serves as a great grounding exercise when feeling overwhelmed!
