Year 8 students have been learning techniques to relax and look after their own mental health in a series of fun 'mindfulness' workshops with Student Support Worker, Mrs Bainbridge.

Mindfulness is a therapeutic technique which means focusing on the present moment, being fully aware of your surroundings and accepting your feelings, thoughts and sensations to become more calm. It combines simple breathing exercises with techniques to focus on things such as sounds, smells and tastes; this leads to a greater sense of wellbeing and a new appreciation of the simple things we often take for granted.

Students particularly enjoyed the 'Mindful Eating' session which began with Mrs Bainbridge teaching participants how to sit quietly and breathe to relieve stress and anxiety; the technique takes only a few minutes so can be done in school, at home, or even on the bus!

Next came an unexpected activity which involved focusing on a range of food items from grapes and jelly sweets to Maltesers. Students were challenged to pay particular attention to the way each one looked and felt, then close their eyes and focus on the smell before finally being allowed to taste each one. They noted that the taste seemed more intense following the exercise and the experience of eating more pleasurable; this led to a discussion where the group admitted that they did not really pay much attention to the things they ate but would definitely do so in future.

They also considered how mindfulness techniques such as these could be applied to other scenarios; for example, focusing on the feeling of the sun's warmth on their face, or the way sunlight enhances the colours of nature, or the smells from summer flowers and cut grass.