Sometimes life can feel overwhelming and we need a way to regulate our emotions. This can be difficult to do for yourself, and can feel even more difficult when you have to help your child through it. A tool that can help adults and children alike to manage their emotions in a healthy way is the use of breathing exercises.
Breathing exercises reduce blood pressure and stress levels, and can help children focus, regulate their emotions, and improve social skills. When we think about helping our children through an emotionally charged moment, it can feel intimidating and scary because we are only human and still have to work at regulating our own emotions! This is why breathing exercises are a great idea for everyone.
There are countless resources that exist for how we can practice calming breathing for ourselves and the children in our care. Linked here is an article that explores this topic more, and gives plenty of breathing exercise ideas and printables. Another great resource is the book I am a Peaceful Goldfish. The imagery and interactiveness of this book are great for keeping a child’s attention while teaching them a valuable lesson.
Explore the resources linked above, and research your own so you can become the most well-regulated version of yourself – and help your child to do the same!
