(STUDY FINDS) — CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Mindfulness, or the process of focusing all of one’s attention on the present moment, is typically thought of as an adult hobby and often associated with meditation. However, two new studies conducted at MIT have found that mindfulness can also be a helpful academic tool for young middle schoolers.
Researchers say that mindfulness can actually improve students’ grades, reduce stress, and promote less disruptive behavior in the classroom. Also, for the first time ever, the authors discovered that mindfulness can even change brain activity in middle schoolers for the better in an experiment that evaluated brain scans of students.
“By definition, mindfulness is the ability to focus attention on the present moment, as opposed to being distracted by external things or internal thoughts. If you’re focused on the teacher in front of you, or the homework in front of you, that should be good for learning,” explains John Gabrieli, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT, in a press release.
