Bring Calm Into Your Classroom or Organisation

Waiting until after the storm has passed is no way to approach mental health and wellbeing in the classroom and workplace. If we put off calming practices and strategies until the to-do list is done, the meetings are over, the meltdown has finished, or the last bell rings, then we’ve left it too late. Calm is an ongoing practice. We create it moment by moment through awareness, presence and intentional pauses.

It’s also contagious. When one person regulates, it ripples.

When leaders or teachers model grounding, it gives others permission to slow down too. In neuroscience terms, this is co-regulation. It involves our nervous systems subtly syncing with those around us. This can look like the teacher who takes a deep breath instead of raising their voice, the team leader who pauses before replying, or the student who notices their own breathing before reacting.

Mindfulness is a key skill in facilitating a calm culture, and is simply described as intentionally paying attention to current experiences with an open and non-judging attitude. According to Mindful (2025), there is ample scientific evidence that mindfulness “helps us heal and thrive”. Among the benefits they list are reduced burnout, improved focus, and increased productivity.

Here are five ways to intentionally bring calm into your classroom or organisation, for yourself and for those around you.

Begin With Breath

A single conscious breath can shift your entire state. Before a lesson or meeting begins, take three slow breaths. Notice the air moving in and out by feeling the temperature of it on your nostrils as you slowly inhale, and out of your mouth as you sigh and let go. If you’re leading a group, invite others to do the same. Breath awareness resets the nervous system, boosts focus, and models emotional regulation.

Try this: As a reminder, use a visual cue, like a candle flickering on your desk or a calm image on the board, to signal “reset” time.

Create Calm Corners and Moments

Design physical or digital spaces that invite regulation, such as a quiet reading space, a mindfulness playlist, or a quiet slide at the start of a presentation. Small cues like soft lighting, natural textures, or background music can help signal safety to the brain.

Try this: Beginning meetings, including classroom check-in circles, with a short moment of grounding, gratitude, or silence to create collective calm and connection.

Language Matters

Use language that soothes rather than startles. Swap “calm down!” for “let’s take a breath together.” In meetings, acknowledge tension without judgment. “I can sense we’re feeling stretched thin so let’s take a moment to regroup.” Words carry energy, and mindful language promotes psychological safety.

Try this: Focus on being “curious, not critical” and maintain a level tone of voice when giving feedback or redirection to promote a calm nervous system for all involved.

Anchor With Rituals and Routines

Predictable rituals and routines calm the brain. Start lessons with the same song, greeting, movement or mindful moment. End staff meetings with a reflection on “what went well and why”. Rituals signal stability and belonging, which lowers anxiety and builds trust.

Try this: Encourage students or team members to contribute their own “mini rituals,” like a gratitude share or mindful stretch.

Model Self-Regulation

The calmest environments are led by calm people. When stress rises, model regulation, pause, breathe, and intentionally decide on your next word or action. Self-awareness invites authenticity and connection. Calm leadership moves beyond suppressing emotion to acknowledging your feelings and bringing yourself back to where you’d like to be.

Try this: Reflect after intense moments. Ask: What helped me stay grounded? What might I try next time?

Conclusion

Bringing calm into a learning or organisational space doesn’t require a full program, meditation cushions, silence, or fancy new training platforms and apps. It begins with awareness of breath, language, and emotional regulation. Calm grows in the spaces between doing and being, and between reacting and responding.

When we lead with calm, we still teach content and achieve goals, but we also build connection, trust and wellbeing.