Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Education

 

Dr. Nancy Coogan

An experienced Washington state educator, Dr. Nancy Coogan has performed significant research alongside other professionals regarding mindfulness for educators. Dr. Nancy Coogan has been featured in Mindfulness for Educational Practice, the eighth volume in the Research on Stress and Coping in Education series.

In therapy, mindfulness-based interventions use mindfulness as a means of achieving physical and mental health. Some forms of mindfulness-based interventions include mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. These approaches were first used in the 1970s in efforts to integrate Buddhist thought into scientific and medical contexts, and became increasingly formalized over the next two to three decades.

For educators, mindfulness-based interventions can serve two primary purposes, both of which improve organizational resiliency. This cultivated awareness of one’s situation can help reduce stress and diminish the chance of burnout, making it easier to perform duties. It also can provide a framework for assessing failures and addressing crises without blame.