Jennifer Passler’s mindfulness column is a new addition to The Arrowhead.  Passler, who teaches English at Arrowhead, will respond to questions and discuss topics such as mental health and meditation.  

Students and staff are encouraged to submit their questions for Passler regarding mindfulness via email at [email protected]. Students who submit a question will receive a coupon for a free drink at the Arrowhead Coffee Shop in room N190.  Passler will respond to questions through the article in an advice column format.  

According to Passler, mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose and without judgement, to the present moment.  

“By learning to quiet our minds, we can have greater control over other aspects of our daily lives, like our reactions to set backs or negative environments. Life can and does feel like it’s moving really fast and that there are many events that we see in the news or experience in our daily lives that feel chaotic. Practicing mindfulness helps us to learn how to navigate these scenarios,” says Passler.

Mindfulness has physical, psychological, and social benefits, including improved focus, impulse control, mood, sleep, and problem solving.  Passler believes that these skills would be particularly helpful for students, who “juggle a lot.” 

“All of these benefits are worthwhile on their own, but they definitely support success in school as well. Imagine if you could help yourself be more calm before a high stakes test or before an important competition. Mindfulness offers this opportunity through breathwork and awareness of our triggers and subsequent responses,” Passler says.

Passler says she has been practicing mindfulness for twenty years to relieve mental and physical stress.  At Arrowhead, she helped start the mindfulness workshop and homeroom.  She hopes that her efforts will encourage students to be more mindful.  

“Life is not a race to be finished, a project to be completed, or an activity to check off. Mindfulness centers our focus and encourages us to make conscious choices with our time. This emphasis not only nourishes empathetic and compassionate community members, but also fosters highly focused, successful individuals,” she said.