SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF Giving kids the tools to cope

The ‘‘busyness of the world’’ is affecting young people, says teacher Daina Crosbie.

The Bohally Intermediate School teacher has been in the school system for a decade, and has noticed a clear increase in mental health issues in kids.

The world is busier, and kids are using their brains more from a younger age, Crosbie said. ‘‘Because there’s technology and social media and jobs that haven’t even been created yet, people are going to experience adversity because the kids are getting more intelligent, so they need to utilise more thinking skills.

‘‘And it’s stimulating with all the technology . . . parents and teachers and children are just trying to keep up.’’

There’s no one quick fix to mental health issues, but

Crosbie had an important tool that she shared with her students.

Mindfulness has been a buzzword in the wellbeing world, but it’s not just for kalemunching hippies. Children could benefit from it too, she said.

‘‘It helps students to manage their emotions, which harnesses their learning,’’ Crosbie said.

Mindfulness can look different depending on the class and the student. Crosbie sometimes allocated time for a mindful walk or a mindful stretching session. At other times she might simply encourage the kids to read or colour mindfully.

‘‘Just like the curriculum is different for maths reading and writing all with different curriculum goals, it is that as well for health.’’

There have been people that haven’t understood Crosbie’s approach, mis-aligning mindfulness and meditation with Buddhism or a new-age fad.

‘‘I don’t like to use the term mindfulness, because it’s not just mindfulness, it’s basically social and emotional learning,’’

Crosbie said.

Crosbie would like to see teachers equipped to deal with the range of mental health needs in their classrooms.

Mindfulness was an important tool they could use but it was just one of many strategies, she said.