Techniques for Dealing with Stress for Kids

For parents, teens, and children alike, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by stress and anxiety in our fast-paced, ever-changing world. Chances are that everyone is dealing with stress and anxiety in their bodies and minds at one time or another. Thankfully, there are tips and techniques to help children and teens respond skillfully to stressful situations. Dr. Katelyn Anderson, a pediatric psychologist at CHOC, offers various skills to help combat anxiety. Here are some techniques for dealing with stress for kids.

1. Belly breathing. When someone feels nervous or stressed, their breathing and heartbeat may increase and their muscles tense and tighten, making it harder to think clearly. But when they can relax their body, it can help with anxiety, pain, and dealing with stress. Here’s how to practice belly breathing with your children:

• Start by having them lie down or sit on a chair with their feet flat on the ground.
• Place one hand on their belly and the other on their chest. Have your child take a deep breath in through their nose, filling their lungs up with air. Their belly expands as they breathe in, while the hand on their chest should stay still.
• Have them turn their lips into “O” as they exhale or blow out all the air. They should feel their stomach flattens as their muscles tighten.

Belly breathing can be utilized if your child is dealing with stress. Like any other skill, the more they practice belly breathing, the better they will become.

2. Getting active. Moving isn’t just good for physical health; it’s good for mental health, too! If your child is feeling bored, tired, hyperactive, sad, angry or nervous, getting out and getting active can help them even out their emotions. It doesn’t take much time or many supplies to get active, and you can let your family’s imagination be your guide for fun activities.

Here are some activities for kids:

• Taking a family walk outside.
• Riding a tricycle or bike.
• Cleaning and organizing their room.
• Playing pretend outside.
• Playing fetch with your pet.
• Swimming.
• Following a fun, age-specific workout video.
• Dancing to favorite tunes.
• Playing active games with friends and family.
• Jump roping.
• Playing catch or shooting baskets.

And some ideas for teenagers:

• Going for a run.
• Weightlifting at the gym – with a gym buddy for spotting!
• Attending a yoga class or doing a yoga video at home.
• Following workout videos online.
• Bike riding.
• Rollerblading.
• Joining a sports team or playing pick-up games with friends.
• Going for a walk or on a hike.
• Joining a dance class.

3. Journaling. A journal is a place for children and teens to write about their thoughts and feelings and record daily activities. It can help them relieve stress, learn more about themselves, process strong emotions and solve problems. Journaling can be helpful when someone is upset, scared or angry, and or when they are excited about something – there’s no wrong way to do it. If your child doesn’t know what to write about, here are some ideas to get them started. They can write about:

• What they did today.
• Something they’re looking forward to, and why.
• Something they’re worried about, and why.
• A time they felt really strong or proud.
• Something they wish they could change about their life right now.

A journal can be their own private book, or they can share it with others. It’s nice to start with 10 minutes of journaling. Then, the more often they journal, the more they will learn about themselves and the better they will feel.

4. Muscle relaxation. Muscle relaxation is a perfect way for dealing with stress, as it can help calm the bodies and minds of children or teens who are nervous, stressed or upset. By tensing and releasing different muscles, it allows the mind to calm and focus on just that one thing. It can also help both kids and adults practice recognizing when stress or worry may be causing pain and tension in different parts of their body, and how they can release it.

To perform muscle relaxation, have your child start by getting into a comfortable position. They can be lying down or sitting on a chair with their feet on the ground. Then, have them take five to 10 belly breaths. Next, have them start to focus on tensing and relaxing the various parts of the body.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services