top ten relaxation techniques for children
Top Ten Relaxation Techniques for Children
Relaxation techniques are methods of getting rid of stress. They include time-tested techniques like exercise and meditation and also recreational activities. Take a look at the top ten relaxation techniques for children.
Stress does not have to do with work and family responsibilities all the time. In this fast-paced and demanding life, even kids have to deal with stress. There are family issues like separation of parents and sibling rivalry. There's peer pressure and the struggle to stay in the race. They have the pressure of scoring good grades and excelling in life. They have the pressure of living up to the expectations of their parents and teachers and then they have their own dreams. With so much in their lives, who says kids have no stress! Here we give you ten relaxation techniques for kids.
They do all that any relaxation technique is supposed to - help reduce anxiety levels in children and help them manage stress. If practiced regularly, they aid in maintaining normal blood pressure as well as the heart and breathing rates. They free the mind of stress and help achieve complete relaxation. They generate positive feelings in the mind and boost confidence.
Top 10 Relaxation Techniques for Children
This activity helps children relax by slowing their breathing rate, decreasing the heart rate and normalizing blood pressure. Teach your child to take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and then release it. On inhaling, the abdomen should expand and not the chest. Deep breathing is the process of slow inhalation followed by slow and complete exhalation. It should be done in a comfortable position, sitting or lying down. Practicing deep breathing regularly has lasting effects on overall health.
Play your child's favorite music. It's a great way to relax. Fast beats can increase the heart rate and induce a feeling of excitement in the child. Music played for relaxation should be soft. Religious music can have a soothing effect. Soft classical music is a good choice of relaxing music. Instrumental music is also an option. But it is said that a person's individual preference of music can have the greatest impact on his mind. So play music that your child prefers. Music can give your child the strength to fight stress. It also serves as a good diversion from worries.
With regular exercise, one becomes more capable of coping with stress. Exercise is known to generate happiness molecules, as they are called, which means it leads to certain hormonal changes that create a feeling of happiness and relaxation. Inculcate the habit of exercising in your child. Here we give you an exercise specifically aimed at achieving relaxation of the mind and body. Ask your child to lie down and relax his muscles, starting from the toes, traveling up thus relaxing his body. Instruct your child to keep his muscles relaxed, that is without tension or tightness in them. This is a good way of relaxation and easier for children to do.
Meditation is the best way to relax your mind. It needs to be practiced individually, so children need to be taught the technique. A relatively simpler form of meditation is the breathing meditation. In this technique, one has to concentrate on his breathing, keeping the mind away from all external distractions. One has to instruct himself to pay attention to only his beathing and keep all negative thoughts away. Once your child learns this form of meditation, you can teach him to convey positive messages to his mind while meditating. Apart from relaxing one's mind, this technique also boosts one's confidene and makes one feel more positive. You can choose to play meditation music for the child and over time, combine meditation with yoga. Practicing yoga is an excellent way to achieve both physical fitness and mental relaxation.
"Laughter is the best", medicine they say. It really is. It makes you forget your worries. You feel rejuvenated and relaxed. Give your children reasons to laugh. Comics, kids' comedy movies, funny stories and jokes can serve the purpose. Laughter is also a good exercise for facial muscles. For the positivity laughter brings, it's one of the best relaxation techniques for kids and adults alike.
This is a method of drawing tension down to the toe. It can seem difficult for a child but with practice, it can prove to be a good relaxation technique. This is an exercise that involves lying on the back and allowing yourself to tense your toe. Ask the child to pull his toe muscles towards the body and hold the position for ten counts. Do 4-5 repetitions of the exercise.
Experts say that picturing things you like can make you feel relaxed. Let the child imagine good things happening to him and visualize anything that gives them pleasure. For someone it could be visualizing a trip to Disneyland, for someone, it could be imagining becoming a famous actor. Ask your child to imagine his dream coming into reality. This has to be done with closed eyes. The thoughts and imagery of a positive picture makes a person feel relaxed.
A break from routine is an effective way to relax. It allows you some time to switch off from work. When your child feels stressed, let him take a break and rest for a while. Encourage your child to spend some time pursuing his hobbies. That's for sure relaxing. Kids these days are almost as busy as we adults are. A hectic schedule gives them no time to break free. Give them that. A short break will give them the energy to get back to routine things. Taking small breaks during the day, thus taking some time off for oneself, is definitely a great way to relax. Teach your children that and they'll also learn to manage time.
Experts recommend exposure to binaural sounds as a good way for relaxation. The technique involves listening to binaural sounds for around half an hour everyday. It is known to generate signals of wavelengths that can reduce stress and also enhance one's creativity. It is advisable to seek guidance about how to use this technique with children.
This technique might sound difficult, but if given proper training, children pick up really well. It serves as a very good way of getting rid of stress. With introversion, you can go to the root of whatever's causing you stress. Through introversion, you reflect on yourself and the situation at hand. You understand yourself better, whereby you are able to cope with stress more effectively. Help your child acquire this technique. It will go a long way in making your child stronger and abler in dealing with stress.
Relaxation is a state when the mind is free of stress. Relaxation techniques aim at helping you cope with stress and get rid of mental strain. They help you lock your worries away and feel positive about life. Your routine is an everyday thing. It fatigues your mind and then you crave for relaxation. A little time for yourself, to think of and do things you want to, is a great stress buster. It relaxes your mind and refreshes you to start working again. No one has ever been able to escape from stress, It's a companion for life. Right from the day you are born, you are made to face pressures - the pressure to win, to excel, to succeed and to prove yourself in whatever you do. In a life fraught with stress, relaxation is a need. As you must have observed, at the heart of every relaxation technique is the idea of setting your mind free, giving it some time of its own to think of really nothing and just relax.
1
Deep Breathing 2
Music 3
Exercise 4
Meditation 5
Laughter 6
Toe Tensing 7
Visualization 8
Taking a Break 9
Binaural Sound10
Introvert