mindfulness concentration and working memory activities

Mindfulness

Concentration and Memory ActivityZhanna Preston, Ed.D.

Mindfulness is a practice of paying deliberate nonjudgmental attention to

the present moment.

The concept of the practice is simple, but its execution requires commitment.

The concept of practice involves consistent exercises.

Mindfulness Activity

o We will use pictures to practice mindfulness.o This activity improves focus and working memory

skills. o Please sit up straight with your feet touching the

floor.o Place your hands on your knees.

o I will project a picture for two minutes.o You will need to quietly study the picture.

o When the timer goes off, I will turn off the projector.o We will then discuss what we saw.

o I may ask you to make up a title for the picture.

cc: radiant guy - https://www.flickr.com/photos/68868401@N00

1. What types of nuts did you see?

2. How many rows of nuts were there?

3. How many nuts in the top row?

4. How many nuts in the middle row?

5. How many nuts on the bottom row?

6. Draw a picture of what you saw from memory.

cc: mynameisharsha - https://www.flickr.com/photos/27526538@N07

1.What types of nuts did you see?

2.What else did you see in the picture?

3.What would you call that dish?

4.What do you think it taste like?

5.What country do you think it comes from?

6.What else would you serve with this dish?

cc: the second fiddle - https://www.flickr.com/photos/36656425@N02

1.What types of nuts did you see?

2.How many nuts were in the salad?

3.What vegetables and fruit did you see in the salad?

4.Name all the colors you saw in the salad.

5.What kind of dressing, if any, did the salad have?

cc: Berries.com - https://www.flickr.com/photos/126560659@N06

1. What types of nuts did you see?

2. What fruit did you see?

3. What else did you see?

4. Draw a picture of what you saw. Try to be as precise as possible and remember all the things you saw and

how they were positioned in the photo.

cc: Dean Hochman - https://www.flickr.com/photos/17997843@N02

1.What types of nuts did you see?

2.How many rows of nuts were there?

3.How many nuts in the top row?

4.How many nuts in the middle row?

5.How many nuts on the bottom row?

6.Draw a picture of what you saw.

cc: liquidnight - https://www.flickr.com/photos/47263829@N00

1.What types of nuts did you see in the picture?

2.How many nuts total were there in the picture?

3.How many nuts did the bird have?

4.What color was the bird?

To become mindful in our daily lives, we need to:

1. Learn about mindfulness.

2. Commit to the practice.

3.Observe its benefits.

Mindfulness

This was a quick activity to introduce you to the concept of stopping everything and deliberately

paying attention for a period of time. This is just the beginning, more activities to come.