Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Do you know that when you're just a little worried or upset, you don't know what to do? Perhaps your mind is full of too much thinking and your body is all tense. That happens to all of us sometimes, even kids! But do you know that there are fun ways to help your mind and body be calm again? These are called mindfulness for kids and relaxation techniques. Here in this blog, we're going to learn all about them. So let's discover how to manage stress and feel relaxed in a fun and simple way! What is Mindfulness for Kids?

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It might actually be too big of a word, but the idea that it really brings forth focuses mainly on the things happening at the current moment. It is like a superhero concentrating on only one thing at a time. You can take notice of what you see, perceive, feel, or even smell when you are practicing mindfulness.

Let's pretend that you munch on a cookie. Pay attention to how it smells, looks, and tastes.You actually mindfully chew through each bit instead of gobbling everything down quickly and without a care. This may make you feel more relaxed and have a better grip on your thoughts and feelings.

Why Is Mindfulness Important to Kids?

Mindfulness can do some pretty great things for kids. To start with, it can help you

Be still and calm in the face of worry or anger.
Focus at school or at play in the playground.
Deal with stress better; little problems are not so big after all.
Sleeping well at night because it clears the mind.

Mindfulness for kids is a way of taking a break for the brain to just rest for a while. And guess what? There are loads of fun ways to practice mindfulness!

Easy Mindfulness Activities for Kids

Let's do some playful activities to cultivate mindfulness.

1. Mindful Breathing

This is one of the easiest exercises to practice mindfulness. Sit or lie comfortably down and close your eyes. Breathe through your nose slowly and slowly, breathe out from your mouth. Feel the flow of air entering and leaving your body. And yes, if your mind makes up its decision regarding a certain something, no problem at all! Just get your attention back to the breath.

Focus on breath and be peaceful. That's really a quite cool technique you can apply anytime you feel stressed or worried.

2. Body Scan

Lie on your back. Your arms will be to your sides. Close your eyes and breathe a few deep breaths in. Now, starting at your toes, notice how this feels. Are those toes wiggling? Up through your legs, your middle, your arms, your head: think about how every part of your body is feeling. Are you letting go? Are you holding in?

This exercise can make you focused on the fact how your body is performing and may help you feel relaxed from head to toe. It is a wonderful way to relax before bed.

3. Game of the Five Senses

This game will make you present to the senses around you. Observe and point out:

5 things that you can see
4 things that you can touch
3 things that you can hear
2 things that have the odor
1 thing that can be eaten

It can make you come back to the present moment, and you will be in a calm state. This is very fun for both indoor and outdoor teaching to children, such as at home or in the park, even at school.

Stress Management in Children

Children also experience stress. What is stress? Stress is that feeling of nervousness, worriedness, or being overwhelmed. You are getting stressed because you're going to sit for a test at school, you're going to play a big game, or you even had an argument with your friend. So, yes, sometimes it's okay to feel stressed but one has to learn to deal with it also.

Stress management in children, therefore, is all about finding ways in which stress does not feel too big or too scary. Practicing relaxation techniques and mindfulness for kids are great ways to handle stress. Here are some simple ideas that would help in managing stress:

1. Talking About Feelings

Sometimes talking about it helps to clear your mind of what is troubling you. You can talk to a parent, teacher, or friend if you are feeling stressed; they can really listen to and support you.

2. Draw What You Feel

If you cannot talk about your feelings, then draw! Grab some paper, get out the crayons, and draw what you feel like. This can be an outlet to express emotions in a healthy manner.

3. Moving Your Body

Exercise is a very good way to break off stress. One can dance or jump or run around. Generally, exercise releases excess energy in the body and makes people more joyful. Even a few minutes of exercise can make a big difference in dealing with stress.

Relaxation Techniques for Kids

Sometimes, you need your mind and body to unwind. Relaxation techniques are simplistic means of allowing your body to relax when feeling anxious or pressured. Here are a few you can try.

1. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This method relaxes your body by tensing then relaxing your muscles. First clench your fists into fists and hold for some seconds then relax. Next squeeze each of your arms, legs, and feet, one at a time, hold the tensing before relaxing. Through this you will be able to experience a loosening of your muscles that will have your whole body feeling lighter and calmer.

2. Imaginary Cloud Ride :

This is a very good way to relax the mind. You will sit back and imagine that you are lying on a soft fluffy cloud. Picture this cloud moving very smoothly up in the sky. What do you see? What does it feel like? Take deep breaths and allow the cloud to carry you as it takes you away with thoughts.

This is an example of relaxation. You start thinking about serene things. Calms you and feels you are free.

3. Blowing Bubbles

You blow bubbles, a nice fun activity. You inhale deep while doing this and then blow very slowly. The circles floating through your room is quite a nice way to calm yourself down, but it feels wonderful to do it outdoors. Let's blow some for a few minutes.

How Mindfulness Comes Helpful in Everyday Life?

Mindfulness is not for times when you are stressed out only. It helps through life. Here are some examples of how practicing mindfulness for kids can be helpful:

1. Good concentration at school

When you practice mindfulness, you will be able to pay more attention in school and are likely to have a better ability to concentrate on school work if you learn to concentrate on your breath or on your body.

2. Controlling Big Emotions

Children are at times very emotionally activated, such as anger, frustration, or sadness. Mindfulness makes you aware of your emotions without being a slave to your emotions. You can pause, breathe a few deep breaths, and relax before reacting.

3. Good Sleeping

This would make you calm your mind when practicing relaxation techniques because you are not exerting too much in your brain or body moments before sleep. You may fall asleep much quicker and may have a more restful, more refreshing sleep.

4. Being Compassionate and Joyful

Mindfulness teaches children how to be kind to themselves and to others. With mindfulness, you are always aware when you are upset or happy. You can also be more patient and kind to your friends and family.

Family Mindfulness

You can also make mindfulness much more fun if you do it with the help of your family! Here's how:

Mindful walks: Take a walk with your family and start noticing everything you see, hear or feel. Have you heard birds singing? Has any breeze touched your skin?

Gratitude jar: Write on a slip of paper something you are grateful for each day, and put them into the jar. Read them together at the end of the week.

Breathing Buddies: Lie on your back and have a small stuffed animal placed on your stomach. Slowly breathe in and slowly breathe out while paying attention to how the stuffed animal moves in sync with your breath.

You can really practice mindfulness together as a family, which makes everyone feel much closer and relaxed in each other's company.

Conclusion

Mindfulness for kids is a great way of dealing with stress and being calm. With mindfulness and simple relaxation techniques, you can really deal with big emotions and become more focused and calm. Whether you do a body scan, mindful breathing, or even blow some bubbles, these practices make your day brighter and your mind clearer. The next time you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath and tell yourself, "You've got this!