Breathing Exercises for Kids
Start Here
Here are my top four breathing exercises that I highly recommend for children who struggle with emotional control. As an occupational therapist, I teach these exercises to help kids manage their feelings more effectively.
Parents often seek these techniques for two main reasons: their children are on the verge of being expelled from school, or they struggle to make friends. Both scenarios can be quite distressing, even for someone like me who doesn't have children.
These four breathing exercises are straightforward to teach and remarkably effective. I'll explain their benefits towards the end. Let's begin:
Why These Exercises Work
1. Multi-Sensory Engagement:
Each exercise requires children to use multiple senses simultaneously, which helps divert their attention from the upsetting thoughts or events and facilitates a return to emotional baseline.
2. Brain Balance:
These exercises help balance the brain's responses. Our brain functions like a seesaw, with the fight-or-flight response on one side and the rest response on the other. Breathing exercises help shift focus away from fight-or-flight, promoting emotional equilibrium.
Once children are back to a baseline state, that’s when real learning and growth can occur. Breathing exercises set the stage for discussing strategies to prevent future emotional disruptions.