Week 5- Science of Happiness Reflection
I have been looking forward to this section of the course as I am very interested in mindfulness and understanding how the benefits can reach further than simply releasing stress. I was shocked to learn about the neurological impacts mindfulness has on the human brain. It is very fascinating to me that we have power over something as complex as our brain structure. This new learning has greatly extended my understanding as I was unaware of the physical impact a simple meditative practice can have on the brain as well as the depths mindfulness reaches regarding aging and pain reduction. This new learning has motivated me to apply mindfulness further into my life and promote mindfulness and meditation to my family and friends.
One question I continued to ponder throughout this week was “if the benefits of mindfulness are so extensive, why are we not incorporating mindfulness more into the workplace and in schools?”. I first began wondering this when I learned about how mindfulness has proven to significantly improve productivity. Meditation may seem far-fetched to some, but the science stands strongly behind the idea that mediation practices in the workplace and in classrooms improve relations among people, promote productivity, and cultivate social-emotional learning. I guess my question is more of a request, that we should be taking advantage of the resources in our own minds through the practices of mindfulness in the workplace and in the classroom.
I basically asked you your question in the comments to your post 2. What are you thoughts? Schools? Workplaces? Could you incentivize it?
ReplyDeleteThe general view of mindfulness (especially for older generations) is often unfortunately that mindfulness practices are a "waste of time", unproductive, or something that can be used if there is leftover time in the work/ school day. Often people fail to recognize that practicing mindfulness in schools and at work creates a more positive and productive environment if the practices are introduced and implemented correctly. I think the best way to introduce mindfulness in schools with younger kids is through social emotional learning. In older age groups I've learned the importance of culture shifts in schools and how the culture in a school can help or hinder mindfulness practices (as I talked about in one of our meetings). I think educating school or work leaders on mindfulness and the correct way to implement it would be the first step in introducing more of these practices.
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