The effects of mindfulness on children’s health, well-being, and cognitive abilities, and its possible applications in educational settings

The present paper investigated the effects of mindfulness on physical and psychological well-being of children as well as their cognitive and academic abilities by summarising and critically analysing relevant experimental studies and meta-analyses. Mindfulness has been discovered to have a positive effect on children’s attention control, emotions regulation and self-awareness by impacting primarily the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, amygdala and default mode network. The findings suggest a great potential for the introduction of mindfulness programs in educational settings. The general recommendations are given on how to organise and implement them effectively as well as what activities can be used to tailor mindfulness practice to children’s needs.