When you’ve been stressed or anxious has anyone ever said to you “Just breathe...” Sounds so easy doesn’t it? But in these situations it is sometimes the hardest thing to do- effectively anyway.
Breathing is the stuff of life. It’s the first thing we do as humans; and the last. In between it can be such a powerful tool to reduce anxiety.
Between the ages of 8 and 12 a child may take anywhere between 25,000 and 43,000 breaths per day. That’s a lot of oxygen! And if we encourage children to “just breathe” how can that actually help them other than keep them alive?
Our brains use around 20% of the body’s oxygen supply, which considering the size of the rest of our body also needing oxygen, this is a significant amount. In a stressful situation our adrenaline levels may increase due to the fight-flight-freeze response being activated. This often causes rapid breathing which can induce “hyperventilation” or over-breathing. This can lower levels of carbon dioxide in the blood and make us feel dizzy, weak, confused or even tingly on our arms or around our mouth. When a child is feeling anxious and then hyperventilates it can be quite overwhelming and may increase anxiety creating a cycle that may be hard for them, or anyone else, to break.
Teaching children the signs of anxiety in their body and then giving them strategies to reduce these symptoms can be so helpful for them to be able to function more effectively and happily.
When I work with children and young people who suffer from anxiety- whether this a mild anxiety in certain situations or those who experience a constant hypervigilant, anxious state- one of the first things I teach them about is their breathing. There is no need for tools or visuals, (though these can be very helpful and will be discussed later in this post) and it’s a lifelong tool that can have immediate effect. It is important to note that teaching a child or young person this strategy (or any type of regulation strategy) while they are in a heightened state is unlikely to be effective. Teaching needs to take place while they are calm and ready to take in new learning or practice skills. This way they are more likely to learn it effectively for use when needed.
Slow breathing that comes from the diaphragm (or tummy as I often refer to it for younger children) can stimulate the “vagus nerve” (the longest nerve from the brain to the body) which soothes the fight-flight-freeze response. By encouraging children to concentrate on their breathing and deliberately slow it down, not only can they become distracted from the trigger of their anxiety, but physically their brain and body may start to relax. Don’t get me wrong! I’m not saying this works in the first session, or the second or even the third. It takes time and practice. As carers and teachers if we can model this practice for our children they are more likely to see the benefits and learn it a little sooner.
There are some great visual and videos that can support the teaching of breathing techniques and motivate children to learn it. Some involve shapes, counting or even characters that can be fun to learn from. Depending on the age of your child you are sure to find something that is appropriate for them. Here are some ideas to get you started.
4-7-8 Breathing
Square Breathing
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