Welcoming Ms Allison Flanagan (College Counsellor) & Mindfulness Practices: Supporting Your Child’s Wellbeing

Firstly, the WestMAC Student Wellbeing team is excited to welcome Ms Allison Flanagan as our new College Counsellor joining Mrs Tia Reardon. Ms Flanagan is a Social Worker with an extensive background in supporting young people and offering therapeutic interventions across community, medical, and schooling contexts. To meet with Ms Flanagan please utilise the email contact information provided or refer to the Counselling and Wellbeing Centre NEST page.

Mindfulness can be a powerful tool for managing stress, improving focus, and enhancing emotional wellbeing. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment, and it can be incredibly beneficial for both children and adults. Research has shown that mindfulness not only reduces anxiety and stress but also improves concentration, emotional regulation, and overall mental health.

The Benefits of Mindfulness: Studies have shown that regular mindfulness practice can have lasting positive effects. For children, mindfulness can:

• Reduce Stress and Anxiety: By teaching children how to focus on the present moment, mindfulness can reduce the worry and stress that often arise from school, friendships, or personal challenges.
• Enhance Emotional Regulation: Mindfulness helps children become more aware of their emotions and reactions, allowing them to pause and choose more appropriate responses to difficult situations.
• Improve Concentration and Attention: Research indicates that mindfulness exercises can improve children’s ability to focus, which can enhance their academic performance and overall attention span.
• Boost Resilience: Mindfulness fosters a sense of calm and balance, helping children cope with setbacks and adapt to challenges more effectively.

How Parents Can Practice Mindfulness with Their Children
Engaging in mindfulness with your child doesn’t require extensive training – it’s about incorporating simple practices into everyday life. Here are a few ways parents can get started:

1. Breathing Exercises: Teach your child to take slow, deep breaths. Try the “5-4-3-2-1” technique: inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 3, hold for 2, and breathe normally for 1. This helps ground them when feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
2. Mindful Eating: Encourage your child to eat a meal or snack mindfully by focusing on the texture, taste, and smell of their food. This activity helps children slow down and be present in the moment.
3. Body Scan: Guide your child through a body scan, where they focus on each part of their body from head to toe, noticing any tension or sensations. This can help them relax and increase awareness of their physical state.
4. Mindful Walking: Go on a walk with your child and encourage them to pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells around them. Ask them to describe what they notice as a way to bring their focus to the present. Another fun way that can add to this strategy, especially with younger students, is to introduce a scavenger hunt element to the mindful walk. A mindful scavenger hunt may encourage the participants to look for certain elements of nature, a specific colour, or a sound.

Mindfulness is a skill that, when practiced regularly, can bring immense benefits to your child’s emotional and mental wellbeing. By making mindfulness a part of your family’s routine, you can help your child develop resilience, emotional intelligence, and a greater sense of calm.

If you have any questions about how to implement these recommendations or other concerns about supporting young people with emotional regulation, please feel free to contact the counselling team as needed.  

College Counsellors 

Allison Flanagan
aflanagan@wmac.com.au

Tiana Reardon  
treardon@wmac.com.au