Skills Guide Content
Goal: Understanding the difference stillness can make in mental energy, focus, attention and work ethic
Stillness is the quality of being quiet and not moving. It seems simple, but in our content-rich, high distraction world it is quite a challenge to put into practice.
Becoming still and calming the body and mind helps change the pathways your brain uses most often, increasing creative energy. Being still means that we will still have distracting thoughts that pop into our minds, and we will have to choose to dismiss or set them aside. This practice is highly effective for students to learn how to beat test anxiety, increase memorization of facts, and work hard towards a pressing deadline.
Activity from Planner
Being told to sit still might bring up bad memories, but stay with us for a minute. When you choose to be still it’s good for your brain and your body! Make an effort to sit still as you do things that don’t require movement, like listening to a podcast, reading a book or eating a meal.
- Give being still a try! Set a timer for 30 seconds. Sit, think your thoughts. Allow the distractions to flow in and out, and think about how much you would rather not sit still. Feel the discomfort and feel your ability to override the impulse to move. Find the zen.
Extended Activity
The words “sit still” might bring up memories of younger years and unmet expectations from the adults in your life at the time (but stay with us here for a minute). Intentional moments of stillness are good for your brain and body. These moments help the neural pathways that fire between your brain and body connect. Deliberate stillness helps increase your awareness of mindless fidgets and movements. This creates endurance in your ability to focus. Some schoolwork is like a marathon; your brain and body are an academic endurance athlete, so think of this as marathon training.
Make an effort to sit still as you do things that don’t require movement, like listening to podcasts, reading a book, or sitting at meals. Think about your body; allow movement to calm from your head down your arms, legs, and feet. Feel the stillness and think about still water, snow on the ground, and leaves on the grass.
- Now let’s give this a try! Set a timer for 30 seconds. Sit, think your thoughts. Allow the distractions to flow in and out, and think about how much you would rather not sit still. Feel the discomfort and feel your ability to override the impulse to move. Find the zen. Feel what being grounded is in your body.
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