10 Simple Ways to Infuse Mindfulness into the School Day for Student Well-being

As a teacher, you know how important it is to create a positive learning environment that supports the social and emotional well-being of your students.

One way to achieve this is by infusing mindfulness into the school day.

Mindfulness practices in the classroom have been shown to improve student well-being, self-regulation, and academic achievement.

In this article, we’ll explore 10 ways to cultivate mindfulness in the classroom, promote emotional self-regulation, and support your students’ social and emotional learning (SEL).

We also have a podcast episode about it here!

Snack time can be an opportunity for mindfulness!

Encourage students to eat slowly, noticing texture, taste, smell, and colors in their food.

Mindful eating fosters gratitude, awareness, and a sense of calm, while helping students slow down and appreciate the present moment.

Walking around the classroom or school can also be a mindfulness practice.

Ask students to notice the soles of their feet on the ground, the rhythm of their steps, and how their body moves.

Mindful walking grounds students in the present moment, reduces anxiety, and helps improve attention.

Between lessons or during transitions, encourage students to stretch their arms up as they inhale and lower them slowly as they exhale.

Repeat 5 times. This practice energizes the body, releases tension, and promotes relaxation, making it perfect for a quick reset during the day.

Colouring is more than just a quiet activity, it’s a proven mindfulness strategy!

Early finishers or students needing a reset can use mindful colouring sheets like My Calm Place from the SEL & Mindfulness Foundations Program.

Mindful colouring reduces stress, improves focus, and gives students a creative way to self-regulate.

You can also grab free mindfulness colouring pages + mindfulness posters here!

Pause and check in with your students’ emotions.

Have them use their fingers to rate their mood from 0 (low energy) to 5 (high energy). Then, guide them through a short mindful activity to help them feel ready to learn.

These check-ins build self-awareness and emotional regulation skills while fostering a supportive classroom culture.

Play a chime, triangle, or tone bar and have students close their eyes and listen until the sound fades. Once it’s gone, they can raise their hand.

This simple practice develops focus, listening skills, and calm attention, and can become a quick reset during busy classroom days.

A pleasant scent, like essential oils, a flower, a book, or even snack items, can shift students’ focus and promote calm and grounding.

Encourage them to notice how each scent makes them feel and discuss it as a group.

Mindful smelling connects senses and emotions, supporting self-regulation.

Deep, slow breaths are one of the simplest ways to regulate emotions and calm the nervous system.

Place one hand on the heart, one on the belly, and breathe slowly 5 times.

Calm breathing can be used at the start of the day, during transitions, or anytime students need a reset to improve focus and readiness for learning.

Affirmations are positive, present-tense statements that set a calm, confident tone. Begin class together with statements like:

“I am calm, focused, and ready to learn.”

This small routine fosters a positive classroom mindset, builds confidence, and reinforces social-emotional skills every day.

Get free positive statement posters here.

Regular mindfulness in the classroom:

By integrating these quick mindfulness practices throughout the day, you’re not only teaching important SEL skills, you’re also creating a calmer, happier, and more productive learning environment.

If you want to bring mindfulness and social-emotional learning into your classroom with minimal prep, our FREE SEL & Mindfulness Foundations Program for K-12 is perfect for you.

This evidence-based program includes:

Start your free program today and help your students develop lifelong social-emotional learning skills!

Get Your Free SEL & Mindfulness Foundations Program Here