Mindfulness
Mindfulness at Oakwood Park
Young people are under increasing pressure from society these days and dealing with life’s stresses can be challenging. Students may experience anxious times when transitioning to us from Year 6, when they approach exams or just in response to whatever is going on around them in their everyday lives. We operate a Mindfulness programme at OPGS to support students during these periods.
Mindfulness is not:
Religious, yoga, counselling.
Mindfulness is:
A tool and a life skill. It teaches us to:
- pause
- be still and quiet – and to be comfortable with this.
- ground ourselves in the moment whenever we feel anxious or overwhelmed.
- recognise our thoughts and slowly learn whether to interact with them or not.
Mindfulness helps with:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mental overload
- Impulsivity
- Self regulation
and helps us to cope in an increasingly busy world.
The OPGS Mindfulness Programme
The Mindfulness programme is led by the Learning Support department. Students are referred to the programme via their Director of Study and can work through a 10 week course during their registration periods. This can be on an individual 1:1 basis, or in group work. Sixth form can be seen on an individual basis during their private study periods, or in small groups during lunchtimes.
Year 9 undertake a 4 week introduction to Mindfulness throughout the year, to prepare them for the extra pressures they will face in Years 10 and 11. Year 7 will undertake a similar programme from September 2020, to help them adjust through their transition from Year 6.
In addition we offer drop in sessions twice a week during lunchtime for Years 7-11. Here we explore a variety of mindful activities rather than the full course.
