A Brief Mindfulness Practice Increases Self-Reported Calmness in Young Children: a Pilot Study

Abstract

Mindfulness practices are increasingly used with school-aged children, although relatively little is known about their effects, particularly when briefer practices are used, and when children are young. Further, although mindfulness is thought to positively influence self-regulation, few studies have explicitly tested its influence on this domain in young children. In two independent samples, children 7–9 years of age were randomly assigned to a single 10-min mindfulness practice or a quiet play comparison condition and completed age-appropriate self-report measures of pre- and post-calmness, mood, and social dominance. Fifteen children were in sample 1, and 30 children were in sample 2. In both samples, only children who practiced mindfulness showed a significant increase in calmness (p < .05) based on pre- and post-self-report. Significant effects on self-reported mood or dominance were not found. These results indicate that even a brief, classroom-friendly mindfulness practice increases self-reported calmness in school-aged children.