How Meditation Can Ease Your Students' Anxiety
Anxiety is a mental illness that has 6 forms; Generalized anxiety disorder, Social anxiety, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Separation anxiety, and Panic disorder. Anxiety & Depression Association of America, conducted research and found that "anxiety disorders affect 25.1% of children between 13 and 18 years old.
It is proven that meditation can help ease anxiety. According to the Cleveland Health Clinic, during our teen years, the Amygdala (a part of our brain that is related to our survival mechanism) is most active, and because of all the stress we endure it can strain it. The frontal lobe and Amygdala have trouble communicating throughout these years which leads to anxiety and risky activity. With about 15 minutes of meditation daily, it'll help the brain become more responsive, and it can be beneficial for teens suffering from anxiety (Health Essentials).
The Interview:
I interviewed my close friend Simone about her experience with anxiety, and this is what she had to say: "My experience with Anxiety hasn't been the best, but being diagnosed with it has helped generously. One way it has helped me is by setting standards to help me cope in certain environments. When I was first diagnosed with anxiety, I was informed that it was caused by a variety of things. For instance, too much stress, and my depression was a huge factor of my chronic anxiety. I personally haven't been treated differently, but there are some instances where people who are aware of my anxiety ask if there is something they can do to make me feel more comfortable. My experience with anxiety would've been less traumatic if I had a better support system."
Initially, I asked what form of anxiety she was diagnosed with, and Simone replied, "I was diagnosed with Generalized anxiety, PTSD, Social anxiety, Separation anxiety, and Panic disorder."
Additionally, I asked her to compare her anxiety medication and mindful meditation, and tell me which had the most positive outcome. She answered, "I would have to say my medication, only because it worked faster, and was more effective when I needed it. However, now that I am off of the medication, meditation is a better alternative, it is much safer, and better for my body."
Furthermore, I asked if her grades have ever dropped due to her anxiety. She said, "A couple of times, but I was able to pick them back up easily."
As stated briefly in my other posts, meditation is the key to easing various mental illnesses, especially anxiety. These are reasons why all teachers should incorporate meditation into their daily activities, lesson plans, etc.
Statistics, Meditation progress for anxiety, and more:
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