Inhale, two, three four. Hold, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four.

No, this isn’t yoga class, it’s third-period calculus.  Why are there breathing exercises in calculus? Because this year is all about mindfulness and mental health.

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present and what’s happening at the moment. It is not cognitive; it’s sensitive and therefore taps into and strengthens different but vitally important parts of the brain that have been overlooked by traditional education. A hugely important quality of mindfulness is that it is practiced without judgment. 

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack R. Smith started a program called Be Well 365 in an attempt to include more mindfulness in classes for staff and students for all schools in the area. “If [the staff] aren’t mindful and we’re not happy or healthy emotionally, mentally, or physically, we can’t do our jobs effectively,” staff development teacher Kerrin Torres-Meriwether said.

Parents can help students at home by talking to their children and making sure to check-in. “One thing that parents can do, if possible, is make a space for mindful moments to happen,” English teacher Samuel Lee said.

“I think it would be better if students help their parents,” science teacher Laura Davis-Vaughan added.

There are many ways to take a step back from the stresses that school adds on every day. Psychology teacher William Funk said,“[Walking] clears your mind or just gives you an opportunity to think about things without distractions.” Get up and walk, listen to music, paint, try a new hobby, but most importantly check-in with yourself mentally. 

“Whenever we go through the day, we put on so much stress, so we had to do stretches,” junior Patricia Rosemond said.

Teachers who join this new program will help themselves and their students by bringing a few mindfulness aspects in day to day interactions. The time it takes to smile at a fellow staff member or a student can brighten someone’s day; even just talking to a person that might be having a bad day can help.

Mindfulness provides “a moment to clear your mind and reset for the day,” junior Hakeematu Manu said.