00:00 Lunchtime is over at this Townsville school, but it isn't back to the books.
00:07 Are you guys going to relax with us today?
00:10 For the past year, these students have been practising mindfulness, in a bid to find quiet in a noisy world.
00:18 Overwhelm, anxiety, digital addiction is affecting the wellbeing of our next generation.
00:25 Using breathing techniques, meditation and subtle movement, the Youth Reset program aims to skill teens to be resilient.
00:34 75% of people that struggle with mental health, this has begun under the age of 25.
00:41 It's essential today more than ever before that we are proactive in mental and emotional health of our next generation.
00:49 Classroom management has improved, even in the tired final days of the 2023 term.
00:57 It was a very complex class, lots of social complexities to the group.
01:04 Teachers are reporting fewer students withdrawing or reacting with outbursts.
01:09 What we're finding is a much more settled start to the lessons, and also just students interacting with each other in a more positive way,
01:18 which is then de-escalating classrooms and allowing more learning to happen.
01:22 Many of these students have complex needs.
01:25 There's growing academic consensus that trauma has a negative impact on social cohesion and classroom behaviour.
01:32 And while many schools are starting to pay attention to trauma-informed practice, academics say a greater focus is needed.
01:38 If children have experienced trauma in their developmental stages of their life, they can have real difficulty learning how to regulate their emotions.
01:46 So trauma-informed practice helps young people learn how to self-regulate and helps them feel safe and supported in the classroom.
01:53 For students, the classroom results are clear.
01:56 It's made me relaxed, calm and not stressed a lot.
02:01 I feel less anxious in the bones, in the body, in the mind.
02:05 Baz Ruddick, ABC News, Townsville.
02:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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