CALMING ANXIETY IN CHILDREN

It’s happening again. Your daughter is frustrated and stomping away down to her room, slamming the door and in general
“has her cranky pants on”. You say calm down, but she yells back “I don’t know how to do that!!!”
We tend to tell our kids to “calm down” without ever giving them explicit directions on how to deal with stress and
anxiety. Here’s a collection of the best tools and tips I’ve found to teach children how to calm down and relax.

Quick Ways to Calm Down

Sometimes you will need a quick way to calm yourself before helping your child calm down.

 Imagine your favorite place - it’s like taking a mini vacation wherever you are!
 Think of your favorite things
 Name animals alphabetically (alligator, bear, cow, dog, etc.…)
 Squeeze Something (play dough, clay, silly putty, your fists, a stress ball)
 Get a Cold Drink of Water
 54321 Grounding - go through each of your 5 senses
 Give yourself a hug - squeeze tight! And breathe together.
 Remember the words to a song you love.
 Do a hook up
a. Put your arms straight out in front of you, palms facing out.
b. Put one hand over the other at the wrists and interlace your fingers.
c. Swoop your hands and arms toward your body and then place your interlaced hands on your chest.
d. Cross your feet at the ankles and put your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
e. Stay still for one minute.

MAKE A COPING SKILLS TOOLBOX

A Coping Skills Toolbox is a kit that you create to help your child calm down when they are upset, anxious or worried. To
get the most benefit from this, you should create this kit before an issue occurs. When your child experiences anxiety, then
they can pick out an item from their Coping Skills Toolbox.
CREATE A CALM DOWN SPOT

You can create a place specially designed to allow to calm down in a few steps.
 Find a spot and make it cozy (ask your child for help with that - maybe they can place a
favorite blanket or stuffed animal inside)
 Add calming tools.
 Explain how to use it and practice before
 When they are starting to escalate, catch it early and give them a calm reminder about
their calm down spot.

USE UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTIVE LANGUAGE

Rather than telling your child “You’ll be fine,” or “Don’t worry about it,” let them know that you’re going to support
them and help them in any way that you can, try one of these phrases the next time your child is feeling worried:
 “I’m here for you.”
 “Talk to me and tell me what’s going on.”
 “How can I help?”
 “Together, we can work on this. We’re a great team.”
 “I love you.”
 “Do you want a hug?”
 From Go Zen - 49 Phrases to Calm an Anxious Child
 From Lemon Lime Adventures - What to Say to Calm an Anxious Child  
 “I am here; you are safe.” Anxiety has a way of making things look worse and feel scarier than when we are not
feeling worried. These words can offer comfort and safety when your child is feeling out of control, especially if
they are at the height of their worry. If you’re not sure what to say, this is an excellent go-to phrase!
 “Tell me about it.” Give your child room to talk about their fears without interrupting. Some children need to
have time to process through their thoughts. Do not offer solutions or try to fix it. Children sometimes do better
with a set amount of time: “Let’s talk about your worries for 10 minutes.”
 “How big is your worry?” Help your child verbalize the size of their worry and give you an accurate picture of
how it feels to them. They can represent their worry by using arm length (hands close together or arms stretched
wide apart) or by drawing three circles on a paper (small, medium, and large) and choosing the one that applies.
 “What do you want to tell your worry?” Explain to your child that worry is like an annoying “worry bug” that
hangs around telling them to be worried. Create a few phrases, then give them permission to talk back to this
“worry bug.” They can even be bossy: “Go away!” or “I don’t have to listen to you!” Use silly voices and try it
loud and quiet.
 “Can you draw it?” Many kids cannot express their emotions with words. Encourage them to draw, paint or
create their worries on paper. When they are finished, make observations, and give them a chance to explain the
significance: “That’s a lot of blue!”
 “Let’s change the ending.” Anxious children often feel stuck in the same pattern without a way out. Help them
see different options by telling their story but leaving off the ending. Then, create a few new endings. Some can
be silly, but at least one should be realistic for your child. Focus on your child conquering their fears with
confidence!
 “What other things do you know about (fill in the blank)?” Some children feel empowered when they have
more information about their fear (especially things like tornadoes, bees, elevators, etc.). Grab a book from the
library, do a science experiment, research together online: How often does your fear happen? How do people stay
safe?
 “Which calming strategy do you want to use?” Work proactively to create a long list of calming strategies your
child enjoys. Practice them during the day, at random times when your child feels calm. When your child feels a
worry sneaking into their thoughts, encourage them to pick something from the list.
 “I’m going to take a deep breath.” Sometimes our children are so worried that they resist our encouragement to
pick a calming strategy. In this case, use yourself as the calming skill! Verbalize what you are doing and how it
makes you feel. Some people hold their children close so they can feel the rise and fall of their chest as they
breathe.
  “It’s scary AND…” Acknowledge your child’s fear without making it even more frightening by using the word
“AND.” After the word “and” you can add phrases like, “You are safe.” or “You’ve conquered this fear before.”
or “You have a plan.” This models an internal dialogue your child can use next time they are feeling worried.
 “I can’t wait to hear about…” It’s hard to see our kids suffer with worry. Many parents rush in to rescue their
child from an anxiety-producing situation. Encourage your child that they will survive this difficult feeling by
bringing up a topic to talk about when you’re together later — what they did at recess, who they sat by at lunch,
etc.
 “What do you need from me?” Instead of assuming that you know what your child needs, give them an
opportunity to tell you what would help. Older kids may be able to verbalize if they need you to listen, give a hug,
or help them find a solution. If you can’t do it, give them their wish in fantasy: “I wish grown-ups could go to
kindergarten too!”
 “This feeling will pass.” This may be a phrase you can both use when your child is at the height of panic. All
feelings pass eventually. It often feels like they will never end, you won’t make it through, or it’s too hard. And
that’s OK. Don’t let your brain get stuck in that moment; focus on the relief that is on the horizon.             

LISTEN TO STORY PODCASTS FOR CHILDREN

There are podcasts with stories for children, the hosts have a soothing voice, and the stories tend to be short. Your child
can listen to these podcasts to have some down time.

 Tales from the Lilypad  Stories Podcast

 Story Time  Storynory

USE CALMING & MINDFULNESS SCRIPTS

There are scripts you can read to your child to help them relax and calm down. Slowly and carefully read the words as
your child listens and follows the instructions: Inner Health Studios list of scripts
Pre-recorded:
Mindfulness with Kids, Sitting Still Like a Frog: several scripts
Annaka Harris also has several pre-recorded scripts to help kids practice mindfulness.

MAKE A MIND JAR

What you need:
1. Empty Jar: Empty and clean soda bottles, empty water bottles, glass jars and plastic containers. Use whatever
makes sense for you and your family. For instance, for the calming jars the kids have in their room, I used a
heavy-duty plastic bottle. I didn’t want them to accidentally knock over a glass jar in the dark - that would be a
huge mess!
2. Water warm water makes it easier for the water and paint to combine.
3. Glitter Paint: glitter paint or glitter glue
To make your jar, add glitter paint to the bottom of the jar until it just covers the bottom of it. Add warm water. Put the
cover on and shake to help the ingredients combine. Once you are satisfied with the look of your jar, then you can super
glue the lid shut so it doesn’t spill. In a pinch, I’ve also used duct tape to secure the lid.
Watch Make a Simple Calming Jar from Coping Skills for Kids on YouTube
Wet Ingredients
Sometimes you want the glitter/other items to stay afloat longer or for a shorter amount of time. Here are some different
ingredients you can use as the wet ingredients.
 Hair Gel
 Corn Syrup
 Glue
 Glitter Glue
 Glow in the dark paint
Dry Ingredients
 Legos
 Glitter
  Small stones
 Small shells
 Glow in the dark stars
To see several other ways to make calming jars, take a look at what Preschool Inspirations did.

USE VISUALS

When you’re stressed and anxious, it’s harder to read and take in information. Visuals are easier.
Keep calming cue cards in children’s coping skills toolboxes so that they can decide about what coping skill they can use.
Sometimes pulling out a list is too much in the moment. You can make your own cue cards.
1. Take several index cards or small pieces of cardstock.
2. On each one, write or draw one coping skill.
3. Hole-punch the cards and place them on a keyring (to make them extra sturdy, you can laminate them)
4. Put them into the coping skills toolbox for easy access.
Using visuals is a powerful way to help kids. When kids are overwhelmed, sometimes it’s hard for them to figure out what
to do. By having cue cards, your child can have a visual reminder of what calms and relaxes them.

PINPOINT WHAT THE FEAR IS

One of the most important things to do is to figure out exactly what is causing the anxiety. Is it fear of the dark? Is it a
worry about something in the closet? Is it monsters? Is it spiders? Figuring out the cause of the fear will help you come up
with ways you can help your child combat it.

REARRANGE THE ROOM

Are there particular spots of the room that seem to be darker or cause more fear at night than others? Go into the bedroom
during the day with your child and talk about the spots that make your child nervous. Try moving night lights and
furniture around for a more calming room arrangement.

TRANSITIONAL OBJECTS

If your child has a hard time separating from you, try a transitional object. This is a special item that helps your child feel
comforted. It helps them feel like part of you is still present even when you're not there. It could be something like a
stuffed animal or a special stone or necklace, or a sweatshirt of yours. The object isn’t what matters, it’s what the object
represents. They can keep it and hold it all night long to help them relax and go to sleep.
Find more strategies:  12 Kid Friendly Strategies to Calm Anxiety at Night
Best Guided Meditations for Sleep.

USE A JOURNAL

Journaling is a way of processing through difficult feelings:

 It’s easier to write about than talk about hard things.
 Journaling helps you process what’s happening.
 It’s convenient.
 It’s not graded.
 It can help you solve a problem.
 It can help you re-frame your thinking.

READ HELPFUL BOOKS WITH YOUR CHILD  

 For GENERAL ANXIETY

  The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook by Janine Halloran. This book has over 75 strategies for kids to try to help
them manage their stress and worry. This book also includes colorful worksheets to help kids learn more about
their anxiety and what they can do to manage their stress.
 Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook I love that when Wilma Jean’s physical reactions are described,
they’re also illustrated. When is says she has knots in her stomach and her knees lock, her stomach really looks
like it’s tied in a knot and there’s a real lock around her knees. I love the activity she does with her teacher, going
over worries she can control and worries she can’t, it’s a great way to help kids manage their anxiety.
 David and the Worry Beast by Anne Marie Guanci David’s anxiety is a beast, and the more anxious he gets, the
bigger it grows. David learns to control his thoughts, and his beast shrinks. There’s also a couple of pages for
parents and kids in the back.
 When My Worries Get Too Big by Kari Dunn Buron This book is wonderful! There are several pages where kids
can add in their own thoughts, worries and what helps them relax. This book also uses the 5 point scale to talk
about stress and different ways to manage it.
 What To Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner, PhD This book goes through several ways that can
help kids manage anxiety, including setting a time for worries, thinking about things that make you happy and
resetting your body with activity or relaxation. There are some interactive places in this book, where a child can
write down their worries, draw some images of things that might help, etc.
 What To Do When You’re Scared and Worried by James J. Crist This is one of my favorite books for kids to help
them deal with anxiety. Near the beginning of the book is a checklist that helps kids narrow down what they are
anxious about. The beginning of the book covers the basics of what anxiety is and how to help manage with
coping skills. The next section of the book goes into detail about different types of anxiety kids might experience,
including Separation Anxiety, Phobias and Panic Attacks.

 For SEPARATION ANXIETY

 The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn Classic about managing separation anxiety when kids start school. My
daughter’s kindergarten teacher read this on our visit to school the first day.
 When I miss you by Cornelia Maude Spelman This is perfect for little ones who have a hard time dealing with the
fact that they are away from their parents during the day. It suggests a couple of things they can do to help and
reassurance that parents will come back at the end of the day.
 Wemberley Worried by Kevin Henkes Poor Wemberley worries about everything, and then she gets worried
when she is about to start school. 

KID-FRIENDLY COPING SKILLS TO HELP MANAGE ANGER

It’s starting again, as usual, right after your son gets off the school bus. He is frustrated from things that happened during
the day, and now he’s yelling and stomping around the house. You’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know what to do
next.
Here’s a collection of the best tools and tips to teach children how to manage their anger in safe and healthy ways. Let's
start with some quick, safe ways to help kids express those feelings.

QUICK WAYS TO HELP KIDS EXPRESS THEIR ANGER

 Rip paper
 Pop bubble wrap
 Squish playdough
 Wrap your arms around yourself and squeeze.
 Write a letter to someone.
 Jump on a trampoline.
 Do wall push-ups.
 Write down what’s bothering you and rip it up.
 Squeeze a stress ball.
 Talk about it.
 Scribble on paper and crumple it up.
  Do jumping jacks.
 Put the palms of your hands together, push and release.
 Do stretches.
 Do a hookup - see it in action on YouTube!
 Stop sensory meltdowns by hanging upside down
 5 simple ways to help children calm angry feelings
 10 more ways to help kids manage anger
 A Different Way to Respond When Your Child is Aggressive

REMEMBER THAT IT'S OK TO BE ANGRY

We need to help our kids understand and expect that they will experience a variety
of feelings as they go through life, including anger. It’s normal to feel angry at
times. It’s what you do with those feelings that matter.

KEEP TALKING TO A MINIMUM

When a child is in fight, flight or freeze mode, they can’t process information as well as when their body is in rest and
digest mode. This is not a teachable moment, and they can’t take in a lecture at this point. Your goal is to get them
through this rough moment. It’s best to keep talking to a minimum. When you do speak, make sure you use a neutral,
calm, and quiet tone. Keep it short and repeat the same phrase. Repeating it is helpful because they aren’t processing
information and words as they usually would. Repetition makes it more likely that they’ll hear what you are saying.
Phrases that you can say at that moment:

 “I’m here for you.”

 “I love you.”
 “I want to help you.”
 “Let me know when you’re ready.”
 “You are mad; I get it.”
 “I understand.”

REDIRECTING

 Instead of Stop throwing things! Try this: When you throw your toys, I think you don't like playing with them. Is
that what's going on?
This speaker/listener technique is designed to help communicate feelings in a non-confrontational manner. Not
only does this keep the lines of communication open, but you are also modeling how to phrase a situation from
your perspective, which in turn gives your child a chance to rephrase events in his (her) perspective.
 Instead of big kids don't do this!
try this: big kids and even grown-ups sometimes have big feelings. It's OK, these feeling will pass.
The older your kids get, the bigger the problems they face, the bigger the feelings they have. Telling them that big
kids don't experience anger, frustration, or anxiety is simply untrue. It also encourages children to avoid or quash
emotions and prevents processing them in a healthy manner.
  Instead of: Don't you dare hit!
Try this: It's OK to be angry, but I won't let you hit. We need to keep everyone safe.
This gets the message firmly across that the emotion is OK, but the action is not. Separating the two will help
your child learn to do likewise.
 Instead of: You're being so difficult!
Try this: This is a tough one, huh? We're going to figure this out together.
When children are digging in their heels, it is important to understand why. This phrase reinforces the idea that
you are on the same team, working toward the same goal.
 Instead of: That's it, you're getting a time out!
Try this: Let's go to our calm down space together.
This flips the script of "time out" to "time in," allowing for reconnection instead of isolation.
 Instead of: Brush your teeth right now!
Try this: Do you want to brush Elmo's teeth first or yours?
For toddlers, tantrums are a way to exert control over their environment. This way, you are offering your toddler a
choice, and in turn, some control.
 Instead of: Eat your food or you will go to bed hungry!
Try this: What can we do to make this food yummy?

GET THEM TO A CALM, SAFE SPOT

When some kids get big feelings, they destroy items around them - rip books, throw toys, etc. If that’s the case for your
child, it may be helpful for you to set up a safe spot where kids can go when they are angry. In that space, take everything
out that can be destroyed or thrown that might injure someone or damage property. If you have more than one floor, set up
a safe spot on each level of your home.
If you aren’t in the safe spot when your child is dealing with big feelings, move harmful objects out of the way and try to
get them to that safe place.
It may make sense to set up their room as a safe place too. We found this helpful when our son was dealing with a lot of
angry feelings. We moved his toys and his bookshelf to a different room in the house so he could still play with them. The
items that stayed in his room were those things that wouldn’t hurt him or us. We did this to keep everyone, including him,
safe. And as time went on, and he had better control of his emotions, we were able to add things back to his room.

BE PREVENTATIVE

One of the best things you can do is work on teaching coping skills kids can use before things escalate to epic proportions.
The trick is practicing when they are in a calm and relaxed mood, not in the moment when they are angry.

IDENTIFY TRIGGERS

Start by talking about what’s making them angry. Help them identify those triggers, so you both know for the next time. Is
it a particular school subject that makes them frustrated? Perhaps being hungry or thirsty? Are their specific noises or
locations that are frustrating?

HELP KIDS IDENTIFY WHERE THEY FEEL ANGRY IN THEIR BODY

Sometimes, kids don’t know they’re angry until after the explosion has happened. Help them identify
the signs their body gives them that they are feeling angry. Over time, they’ll start to recognize that
feeling and ideally use a coping skill before things get too overwhelming.
 

EXPLORE WHAT OTHER EMOTIONS THEY MAY BE FEELING

When kids are angry, there are usually other feelings that they are experiencing too. But anger is easy to see and often
hides different feelings that lie below the surface. It’s sometimes referred to as the “Anger Iceberg.” It takes a bit of time
to figure it out, but when your child is in a calm place, talk about what other feelings may be hiding underneath their
anger.
Read more about the anger iceberg here.

IDENTIFY AND PRACTICE COPING SKILLS

Now that they know what causes those big feelings and how to identify them, help them figure out ways to deal with those
feelings in safe and healthy ways. Go through the coping skills checklist and have kids check off the skills that work for
them, cross off the ones that don’t and circle the ones they want to try.
Identify one coping skill your child would like to try. Take a few minutes during the week and have them practice a
coping skill they may be able to use next time. For example, if they are going to try using shapes for deep breathing, have
them practice before, so they know how it feels. The idea is to have them practice, so they know what it feels like to do it
when they are calm.
Using coping skills to deal with big feelings will not go perfectly every time. Learning to manage anger is a work in
progress. Little by little, with practice and time, kids will get better at it. Encourage them when they make safe and
healthy choices. When they don’t, continue to work with them to figure out better steps they can take the next time.

USE A FEELINGS THERMOMETER

Using a feelings thermometer can help kids make the connection between their
feelings and their coping skills. Here’s how you can make an anger thermometer.

How To Make an Anger Thermometer:

 Have the child pick out three colors, one for each section of the thermometer
and color it in. Then talk about each section.
 Ask what it looks like when they are just a little angry, at the bottom of the
thermometer. Do they sigh loudly, growl, etc.?
 Then move on to the middle section of the thermometer. If they are medium-
sized angry, what does that look like? Does their voice get louder? Do they
stomp their feet, etc.?
 Finally, talk about what it looks like when they are experiencing big anger at
the top of the thermometer. What does that look like? Is it yelling, throwing
things, etc.?

It isn’t always easy for kids to do this. If they are having a hard time identifying what the behaviors were, I tell them what
I noticed the last time I saw them get angry. Or, if I haven't seen them angry, I'll give them a prompt to help them, like
“When some kids get angry, they yell, is that something you do?”
Once we go through and identify behaviors on the thermometer, then we work on identifying coping skills they can use to
calm down. Some examples include getting a drink of water, taking deep breaths, shredding paper, or taking a break.
Make sure they have coping skills that will help them at each level of anger. It’s essential to have a variety of coping skills
for each level because not all coping skills will work all the time. For some kids, taking a drink of water can help calm
them down when they are just slightly angry. However, when they are furious, getting a drink of water won’t help. They
need to do something different at that point, like take a break.

READ BOOKS ABOUT ANGER TOGETHER

 When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Angry by Molly Bang It’s a visually appealing book to show how big her
feelings get and how it looks when she calms down again.
 When I Feel Angry by Cornelia Maude Spelman It explains how different things can make you angry, and that
feeling angry is an expected part of life, but it’s what you do when you’re feeling that way that matters.
 Cool Down and Work Through Anger by Cheri J. Meiners M.Ed. talks about how anger affects your body and
suggesting safe ways to express yourself.
 Angry Octopus by Lori Lite and Max Stasuyk is a progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing script for
kids.
  Don’t Rant and Rave on Wednesdays by Adolph Moser  It mentions the consequences of having unchecked anger
and acknowledges that adults struggle with this too. A large part of the book explains different strategies kids can
use to express anger in a safe way, which I think is fantastic.
 How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger by Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis for kids who are having a hard
time managing being angry; read one chapter at a time with the kids and work on some of the strategies listed in
the book.
 What to Do When Your Temper Flares by Dawn Huebner goes through “anger dousing” methods.
 Happiness Doesn’t Come from Headstands by Tamara Levitt about growth mindset and resilience.
 The Secret to Clara’s Calm by Tamara Levitt . demonstrates the power of mindfulness in managing big feelings.
 Chillax! How Ernie Learns to Chill Out, Relax and Take Charge of His Anger by Marcella Marino Craver graphic
novel, perfect for the tween set.

KEEP YOURSELF CALM

It’s common for parents to struggle with staying calm when their child is angry. As a mom, I know that’s tough,
especially when your child is having a difficult time. But it’s important to learn to do it. You must get yourself calm
before you can help your child.

USE SELF-TALK

Phrases that may help you as you are working with an angry kid:

 They’re having a hard time, not giving me a hard time.

 Share my calm, don’t join their chaos.
 It is my responsibility staying calm, no matter how my child is acting and behaving.
 All feelings are OK. My job is to help my kid manage them.
 I can remain calm and be a good example for my child.
 Be the thermostat, not the thermometer.

TAKE DEEP BREATHS

If you’re getting upset and about to blow up, try deep breathing. I know, it sounds hokey, but it makes a difference. When
you are feeling overwhelmed, your body can go into fight, flight, or freeze mode, but in situations like these, you want to
stay in rest and digest mode. By taking deep breaths, you’re signaling your body to go back to rest and digest mode.
Expand your belly as you inhale and contract your belly as you exhale. Try taking several deep breaths before you take
steps to intervene.

USE A GROUNDING TECHNIQUE

If you’re overwhelmed, sometimes it helps to do a grounding exercise to calm yourself down.

 Say the alphabet and numbers together (A-1, B-2, C-3, etc.…)
 Squeeze a stress ball.
 Take a sip of cold water.
 Count by 7’s
 54321 Grounding

DEEP BREATHING EXERCISES FOR KIDS

Have you ever told a kid to take a deep breath, and then they start hyperventilating? Or they breathe in, but don’t breathe
out?
Sometimes, kids may need a little more help to figure out how to properly take a deep breath.

When you are calm, your body is in what is known as “rest and digest” mode. Your breathing is normal, your muscles are
relaxed, and your heart rate is normal. It's how you would be when you’re watching a show and relaxing. But then
suddenly, a dinosaur is chasing you!!

When you experience a stressful event (like an unexpected dinosaur in your living room), your body automatically goes
into what is known as “flight, fight or freeze” mode. Your heart rate increases, your stomach stops digestion, and your
breathing becomes shallower.

The goal of calming exercises is to get yourself from “flight, fight or freeze” mode back to “rest and digest” mode. Deep
breathing helps get more oxygen into your bloodstream. It has a physical effect on your body to help you calm down and
lower stress. So deep breathing does make a big difference for kids.

Quick note: The breathing we want kids to do is deep belly breaths, not shallow chest breaths. When they breathe in, their
belly should expand, and when they breathe out, their belly should contract.

DEEP BREATHING USING PROPS

Use Bubbles
Blowing gently to create bubbles is a good way to be playful and breathe deeply. Kids must blow carefully and
slowly to make the bubbles, to help kids take deep breaths.
Use A Stuffed Animal to Practice Deep Breathing
Have your child lay down on their back and put a stuffed animal on their belly. Have them breathe in and move
the stuffed animal up, then breathe out and bring the stuffed animal back down. This helps teach kids to use their
belly to take big deep breaths. Another alternative is to use a weighted stuffed animal.
Use A Pinwheel
Kids can practice breathing out slowly or more quickly, using the speed of the pinwheel as a measure. Then they
can figure out which way works and feels best for them.
Use A Feather
Get some colored feathers and pick out one feather to use. It could be a color that they love or one that makes
them feel calm. Breathe in and hold it for a count of 3, then breathe out going up on one side of the feather and
down the other side.
Hoberman Sphere
Breathe in and expand the sphere,
breathe out and push the sphere back in
(this mirrors what should be
happening to their belly) - Watch the
video on YouTube!

DEEP BREATHING USING SHAPES

Triangle Breathing
 Start at the bottom left of the triangle.
 Breathe in for three counts as you trace the first side of the triangle.
 Hold your breath for three counts as you trace the second side of the triangle.
 Breathe out for three counts as you trace the final side of the triangle.
 Repeat!
Square Breathing
Start at the bottom right of the square.
 Breathe in for four counts as you trace the first side of the square.
 Hold your breath for four counts as you trace the second side of the square.
 Breathe out for four counts as you trace the third side of the square.
 Hold your breath for four counts as you trace the final side of the square.
 Repeat!
Star Breathing
 Start at any “Breathe In” side on the star.
 Trace your finger over the "breathe in" side of the point.
 Hold your breath when your finger gets to the tip of the point.
 Breathe out as you trace your finger over the other side of the point.
 Keep going until you reach where you started.
 When you trace the whole star, you will have completed 5 deep breaths.
 Repeat!
Lazy 8 Breathing
 Start with the eight on its side and start in the middle.
 Go up to the left and trace the left part of the 8 with your finger while you breathe in.
 When you get to the middle of the eight again, breathe out while you trace the right part of the 8 with your finger.
 Repeat!
Six-Sided Breathing
 Start at the left-hand side of the hexagon.
 Trace your finger over the "breathe in" side as you take a deep breath in.
 Hold your breath as you trace the second side of the hexagon.
 Breathe out as you trace the third side of the hexagon.
 Then repeat for the bottom part of the hexagon.
 Repeat!

BREATHING USING YOUR IMAGINATION

Breathe in like a flower,

breathe out like you are blowing out birthday candles.
Breathe in blue sky,
Breathe out gray skies.
Pretend your belly is like a balloon.
Breathe in and make the balloon bigger, then breathe out and make the balloon shrink.
Smell the soup,
cool the soup, or smell the hot cocoa, cool the hot cocoa.
Darth Vader Breathing
Pretend you have a straw in your mouth, suck in through the straw and breathe in. Breathe out like Darth Vader.
Ocean Breathing
breathe in and imagine the wave rolling in, breathe out and imagine the wave rolling out.
Color breathing
Breathe in and imagine a calm, happy, positive color. Breathe out and imagine a color that represents stress, anxiety, etc.
leaving your body.
Soft Belly
Say to yourself “soft” as you breathe in and “belly” as you breathe out.

ANIMAL BREATHING

Whale Breath
Sitting crisscross applesauce, sit up tall and take a deep breathe in, hold it while you count to 5 with your fingers
then tilt head up to blow it out of blowhole. You can also put your hands up on top of head to create the blow hole
to “blow” out.
Snake Breath
Breathe in, pause, then breathe out slowly while you make a hissing sound for as long as you can.
Bunny Breath
You can do this breathing either while sitting or add movement to it.
Sitting version - make “bunny” hands in front of chest and take quick sniffs like a bunny.
Movement version - start in a squat and hop forward while taking quick bunny sniffs. 
Bumblebee Breath
Breathe in and pretend you are smelling a flower. As you breathe out, make humming bee sound. Try different
ways of making the sound - longer or shorter, high, or low sounds.

DEEP BREATHING WITH NUMBERS

5 - 5 - 10 Breathing:
Breathe in for 5, hold for 5 and breathe out for 10.
4-7-8 Breathing from Go Zen YouTube
7-11 Breathing:
Breathe in for 7, exhale for 11.
Count To 10 
 Breathe in ONE
 exhale TWO
 Inhale THREE
 Exhale FOUR
 Inhale FIVE
 Exhale SIX
 Inhale SEVEN
 Exhale EIGHT
 Inhale NINE
 Exhale TEN

DEEP BREATHING WITH YOUR BODY

Using Your Hand to Take a Deep Breath Aka Mountain Breathing

Put up one hand, palm facing out and fingers spread apart. Place the index finger of your other hand at the base of
your thumb and breathe in while you move your finger up one side of your thumb. Move your finger down the
other side of your thumb and breathe out. Do the same thing with the remaining four fingers and take deep breaths
in and out as you move your finger. After you’ve reached the second side of your pinky finger, you’ll have done 5
complete deep breaths.
You can also do this with a close friend or trusted adult. Have them spread their hand out and use your finger to
trace their hand and do deep breaths. Or do the opposite: spread your hand out and have them use their finger and
trace yours. You can do deep breaths together!
Hands To Shoulders
Sometimes you breathe from your chest instead of your belly, but it’s hard to notice. This is an easy way to figure
out if you are moving your chest or your belly when you’re breathing. While sitting or standing, put your hands
down by your sides. Then bend your arms at your elbows and place them on the front of your shoulders. Try
taking a deep breath. If your shoulders are moving a lot, focus more on taking breaths using your belly.
Rainbow Breathing
Arms start at the side of your body; arms go up as you breathe in and go down as you breathe out (arms make a
rainbow) - Watch the video on YouTube!
Volcano Breaths
Pretend your hands and arms are like lava flowing from a volcano. Start with your hands in front of your heart,
with palms touching. Keeping your hands together, reach straight up and breathe in. Separate your hands and
move your arms down to your side and breathe out.
Explosion Breaths
Start in a standing position. Breathe in as you crouch down. Then, jump up, spreading your arms and legs as you
breathe out.
Nostril Breathing/Cowabunga Breathing
Block one nostril, breathe in for 5, block the other nostril, breathe out for 5.
Wood Chopper Breathing
Standing tall with legs hip distance apart. Clasp hands together and raise your arms above your head. Breathe in
through nose. Exhale and pull your hands down toward your legs as you say “HA” to “chop” wood.