I struggled with anxiety and depression, especially as a teenager, and would have benefited from learning some grounding skills earlier on. I wish I’d known what to do when I felt my body tighten, my mind race, and my breath shorten. Emotions can feel like a cloudy storm, and we scramble to find our calm.
The world is such a busy place. We tend to get caught up in the storms of what we “should” be doing and often forget to slow down and connect to ourselves. Our children have the same issue, and learning mindfulness at a young age could aid in their ability to self-soothe. If you or your child have experienced anxiety, you might benefit from trying one of these activities listed.
Gratitude
Teaching ourselves and our children gratitude can be helpful to reduce anxiety, worry, and depressive thoughts. This practice reminds us of the positive aspects of our lives and calms the storm. There are a variety of activities using gratitude, so pick which one would work best for your family.
A gratitude jar filled with slips of paper reminders of what they feel grateful for works wonderfully for many families. Gratitude journals are also very popular as it invites a person to focus on this daily instead of at random times. Your family might enjoy being more verbal and speaking about what makes you happy when the moment arises.
Yoga
Yoga helps kids to physically bring themselves into their bodies. They can learn to breathe into the places of tension within muscles. Yoga is essentially the opposite action of anxiety. It is the practice of learning to let go instead of forcing. By practicing letting go, your mental state can also loosen. You teach your body what relaxation feels like–letting the clouds drift away and bringing calm to the storm.
Relaxation can definitely be an unfamiliar experience for people with lifelong anxiety. I absolutely struggled when I first began yoga because I was used to holding so much tension! However, through practicing for a few years, I have fallen in love with how I can relax through movement and stretching. It benefits my mind and body.
The practice of yoga can benefit people of all ages! Today’s kids are very lucky to have access to local resources like Nose to Toes Yoga and online sources such as Cosmic Kids Yoga.
Art
I’m not just talking about regular art, although even coloring can be extremely relaxing if done without a focus on perfectionism. I’m referring to the art that is focused on emotions and self. We can teach our children how to tap into their feelings by drawing them or creating a mood journal.
Sometimes it can be difficult to find the words to express feelings, especially for little ones. When a child is visibly upset, it might help to ask them to draw their feelings. Often times children don’t need more instruction than that. However, if needed, you can print out blank pictures of a human body so they can pick colors and place the feelings where they are experiencing them.
Using clay or playdoh can also be helpful as it has some sensory relaxation as well. You or your child can focus on your worries or anxieties and sculpt them. After a deep breath, you can smash and smooth your playdoh. Repeat as needed, calming your storm.
Grounding Activities
Tapping into the senses is an excellent way to relieve anxiety and return to the present moment. It can help you pull out of your racing thoughts and feel your body again.
A quick and simple activity for grounding is called 5,4,3,2,1. Begin by taking a few deep breaths. Then you or your child will list five things you can see, four items you can touch near you, three sounds you can hear, two smells you can smell, and one taste in your mouth.
Grounding can also be as simple as walking barefoot in the grass, watching the trees dance and twirl in the wind, and finding pictures in the clouds.
Mindfulness Cards
If you’d like something concrete that you can go to when you and your child need extra help to catch your breath and calm your storm, you might try Mindful Cards by Whitney Stewart and Mina Braun. I was quite lucky to find these through a local Buy Nothing group, and my daughter and I have enjoyed learning all the different activities we can use.
The Mindful Cards include categories for activities: Start your Day, Find Calm, Focus, Open Your Heart, and Rest and Relax. This gives the parent or child an option to choose the card most related to what they need at the moment. Meditation, active movement, sensory expressions, such as humming and tapping, breath work, and many other great ideas are included. With 50 choices, it’s typically easy to find something to apply to the current situation.
Nature
Get outside and see the big picture of life beyond your home or work walls. Nature walks are also a great time for gratitude. The parent can invite the child and themselves to explore what they are experiencing through their smell, taste, touch, hearing, and sight for grounding and meditation.
Finding items to create nature art such as stick pictures, drawings in the dirt, stone structures, or even more purposeful projects such as bee hotels with fallen bamboo can build a connection of harmony between the child, the parent, and the world we live in.
If you feel so inclined, you can even take a yoga mat or blanket on some patch of soft land and practice a little peaceful yoga flow!
Whichever way you experience and explore the outdoors, breathe in the open air. Remind yourself that life can be full of possibilities and our obstacles might not be as large as they seem.
When it’s too stormy . . .
While using mindfulness activities can help calm the storm of anxiety, sometimes we need additional help such as therapy or medication prescribed by a doctor. If you are struggling and feel that you cannot help yourself with at-home techniques, make sure to reach out for additional support. Even, and especially, as the parent, you deserve love and care.
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ABQ Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.
