This month we are focusing on Mindfulness at 4-H Ontario. We believe it to be extremely important to practice mindfulness within your daily activities, especially during these hard times.
What Is Mindfulness?
According to Kids Health, “Mindfulness means paying full attention to something and slowing down to really notice what you’re doing”. Those times when you are calm, focused, and really paying attention to what you are doing. When you truly take your time and think or act carefully – that is you being mindful.
Why Is Practicing Mindfulness Important?
Mindfulness is kind of like a superpower. Being mindful helps you: pay attention better, learn more, stay calm under stress, listen better to others, be more patient and feel happier and enjoy things more.
HERE NOW YOU TRY …
The activity comes from our Cloverbuds – Outdoor Adventure unit
Cloud Watching
To enjoy this activity, you can simply lie on your back in the snow and watch the clouds drift across the sky. Use your imagination to see shapes, animals or items that the clouds make.
Be aware of your surrounds, pay attention to how you feel. Pay attention to what you are seeing in the sky, stay calm and try not to get distracted by the things around you.
Once you are ready, head inside and draw or paint the clouds you saw and try to keep that same feeling you were experiencing when you were outdoors.
This is just one example of how to practice mindfulness, you can eat mindfully, walk mindfully, even brush your teeth mindfully. Try and pick specific things to really focus on and practice training your attention.