For some teens, the start of school can be a source of anxiety and stress. A growing number of studies are showing that practicing mindfulness can improve emotional well-being, mental health, and even physical health.

Mindfulness can empower young people to be conscious of how they’re feeling while reducing anxiety and stress. Psychology Today describes mindfulness as a state of active, open attention on the present.

“When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.”

Simple exercises such as taking deep breaths can help slow down the pace of life and refocus the mind on calm thoughts.

Mindfulness instructor Sarah Rudell Beach shares her perspective on leftbrainbuddha.com.

“When we practice mindfulness, we learn that much of the chatter of the mind is just that: chatter,” she said. “It’s not reality; it’s worry, it’s anxiety, it’s baseless projection. Mindfulness teaches teenagers to recognize the downward spiral of thoughts before it gets out of hand, perhaps learning to label it as simply worrying.”