Children have to learn to recognize and manage their emotions, as this is essential for their good physical and emotional development. Children can be afraid of the dark, they can have problems with classmates, the pressure for grades ... each child can experience their own fears, anxieties or even stress, so, in addition to recognizing these emotions it is also necessary that they know how to handle them and that negative feelings do not take over.
So that your children learn to be good with themselves and with these feelings of anxiety or stress, you can teach them some relaxation techniques so that they have the appropriate strategies to be able to handle these feelings. They will feel calmer and more confident because they will have enough tools to control themselves and also, it will help them throughout their lives.
Regular relaxation and meditation can help you become more emotionally resilient and have a calmer mind. With these simple exercises to relax you can learn to control your emotions, both positive and negative. These relaxation techniques can help children with trouble sleeping, behavior problems, trouble concentrating, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
Depending on the child, some techniques may work better than others, you will have to think about which ones may be better for the children you want to teach these techniques to. Try teaching your child one or two of the following techniques to start thinking about which one would suit him best based on his age and personal characteristics.Then you can add more so that your child chooses the technique that he likes the most or with which he feels more comfortable doing it.
The calm switch
In order to find and create the 'calm switch' it is necessary for the adult to guide the child in this mental process so that he learns what the calm switch is like and where it is. With proper guidance and a calm environment, you will have to say the following:
Remember a time when you felt calm and at peace, it can be a vacation day at the beach, when you read a book or when you enjoy a hug from a person you love very much. Make your mind travel to that place and imagine that you are there. See what you saw, listen to what you heard, and remember how good you felt. When you think about the memory, try and make the colors in the memory brighter and make the sounds louder.
Now squeeze your thumb and index finger with your right hand while thinking with your quiet memory. The next time you feel anxious or worried, simply squeeze your thumb and index finger and remember that place that brings you peace in your memory. It will be the calm switch and you can press it every time you need it to feel better and relax.
Deep breathing
Deep breathing is an effective way to slow down the body's natural response to stress. It slows your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, and provides the feeling of being in control. This simple technique can be done by anyone, of any age:
- Inhale deeply
- Hold your breath for a few moments
- Let out the air slowly
- Repeat deep breathing until you feel relaxed
Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation offers a wonderful way to relieve stress. This is accomplished by tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups in the body. To do it with children you will have to ask for the following, being a guide in each of the steps:
- Expensive. You have to rub your nose and forehead as if you smell something stinky, and then relax it. Repeat three times.
- Jaws You have to clench your jaws tightly like a dog biting a bone, and then let go of the imaginary bone and let the jaw release completely. Repeat three times.
- Arms and shoulders. Stretch your arms forward and then raise them above your head and stretch as far as possible. Make him drop his arms and let them loose. Repeat three times.
- Hands and arms. Imagine that you are squeezing an orange as hard as possible with one hand and then dropping that orange on the ground and letting the arm and hand relax. Repeat three times, and then switch to the other arm.
- Belly. Lie on your back and squeeze your wind muscles as hard as you can. Then let go and relax. Repeat three times and do the same standing technique and repeat 3 times as well.
- Feet and legs. Press your toes against the ground as if you were digging them in the sand on the beach. Press alternately and spread them far enough to feel them on your legs, and then relax them. Repeat three times.
With each of these techniques, encourage your child to notice how good the body feels when it relaxes each time. The goal is to work through these exercises to achieve total body relaxation.
The balloon technique
This technique is easy and works great for kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The child will have to imagine that it is a balloon and will have to breathe in very deeply until he fills his lungs and notices that no more air can enter.
Then you will have to exhale very slowly and repeat the exercise several times. This way you will feel much calmer and more relaxed and you can use this technique whenever you need it.
The turtle technique
The child will have to imagine that he is a turtle and will have to lie face down on the ground. Then you will tell him that the sun is about to set and that he has to sleep. Little by little he should begin to shrink his legs and arms, very little by little, with the slowness that prevails in a turtle. You will have to finish the position by getting under your back, with your arms and legs tucked low, as if your back were the tortoise shell.
You will have to stay in this position for 3 minutes with your eyes closed and breathing calmly, and then you will be told that it is already daylight and that you can bring your legs and arms out very slowly. Once you are in your starting position, you will need to sit down and discuss how you have felt.