- The role teachers play in our children's lives is complex.

Beyond simply teaching academics, teachers tune into each student's unique background and abilities.

At the same time, they must juggle new curriculum, new technology, high stakes testing, and many other demands.

These are just some of the reasons why teachers find themselves in one of the most stressful professions.

Learning to manage the stress is key to preventing burnout.

But how do you do that?

One way is to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life.

(upbeat music) - I really liked the definition of mindfulness by Jon Kabat Zinn, who said that mindfulness is living in the present moment on purpose, non-judgmentally.

And he often adds, as if our lives depended on it.

And, in some respects, our lives do depend on it because it is that capacity to be aware of ourselves and to recognize, "Wow, I am here, but I'm not really here.

"I'm in this classroom with 24 children, "but my mind is finishing an argument "that I had with my spouse last night."

Or, "My mind is worrying about "what my teenage child might've gotten into last weekend."

Or, "My mother is ill and we're struggling "with whether she's going to have to go "into some kind of a facility."

I mean, these are things that all people in all professions have to deal with, but when you're a teacher and you're in the presence of 24 young people, and if you're not completely there, all kinds of things can go awry.

- So, mindfulness is not about replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts or forcing our thoughts to be different, or to have fewer thoughts.

It's really about applying the medicine of awareness, and non-judgmental presence to the activities of the mind.

So, for example, if a thought drifts in about, "I'm worried about what's gonna happen six months "from now with my work situation," for example, I could go into that story and go into ruminating, and worrying, and really live there, and kind of see the scene play out of whatever it is that I'm concerned about.

Or I could just notice that thought that I'm worried about the future.

And then come back to the breath, come back to this very moment right now, what am I feeling, and shift the relationship to the thinking so that I'm not just fully fused with it and following the train of thought.

- When we think about it, when are we most stress-free?

I would argue that we're most stress-free when we are living in the moment on purpose, non-judgmentally.

And that could be playing with your children, or taking a walk in the park, or listening to your favorite music, or reading a book where you're so immersed in that book, whether you're working in the garden, or pursuing any kind of hobby, that kind of presence is very, very helpful for coping, recovering, and going back to school the next day, and being refreshed.

- Mindfulness can also be helpful inside the classroom, especially when things don't go as planned.

- If we think about a scenario, and it could be at any grade level, right, a teacher has a plan for the day.

and maybe they are excited about the plan.

And they go in and they begin to carry it out.

And, maybe, they have students working in groups, which they're excited about.

They really want to promote that kind of feedback between students about their academic progress.

There's lots of exciting things that are going on.

Well, within about the first 15 minutes, it's all going south, right?

As the teacher begins to recognize half of the students aren't prepared, they didn't do the assignment.

And then, I've got two groups that are run amok.

One student's yelling at another, and it's starting to feel out of control.

And so, here's where mindfulness kicks in, right?

Because if it doesn't one can get so caught up in all of that, that the stress begins to build.

And then I'm not doing a good job of emotional management myself, now I'm part of the problem.

I'm yelling at the kids, I'm telling them how frustrated I am that they can't get their work done.

Or, by the way, I could also go silent.

I could just sit down and just let it all play out because I'm that frustrated.

But all of that can be best mediated, if one can stop, take a moment, observe, and make a decision about how to get this back on track.

It might be a decision to say, "Everyone, just stop, please.

"Put your pencils down and just be with me for a moment."

And, in a calm voice, sort of talk it through.

Maybe even take a moment to engage students in a mindful activity, putting their heads on their desk, or whatever it happens to be is a more humane, and a more intelligent and, ultimately, more helpful solution, but failing to recognize what your mind is doing and how it's going to cause you to act, very problematic.

Mindfulness is our way out, as Michael Singer, the author of "The Untethered Soul," once said.

And he said, "Look, when you learn to be aware "of your thoughts, when that becomes primary, "being aware of your thoughts, more than thinking "about your thoughts, that's your way out.

"That's the door to freedom."

- Mindfulness is an effective way to manage stress, prevent burnout, and to be present both at work and at home.

For more information, check out the Ohio Department of Education's Well-being Toolkit at education.ohio.gov.

(gentle music)