In these ‘interesting’ times most families are experiencing changes to work, school, recreation and social connections. For some these changes are positive with families spending more time together engaged in fun and meaningful activities with fewer distractions and time pressures.
For others, things have been incredibly difficult leading to fear, worry, depression and anger. These effects are not just felt by adults. Children often see straight through the brave front we put up to protect them and many tend to need stable routines to feel safe and in control.
As a parent, you already know it is important to reassure your child, give them plenty of hugs, opportunities to share their thoughts, provide them healthy meals, play, exercise and sunshine. But you may have overlooked the benefits of breathing, another simple tool we can utilise to decrease the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) response, anxiety, depression, anger and confusion.
Here are two simple techniques you can implement right now to improve relaxation, pleasantness and comfort in your child:
Laying on their back with both hands on their belly, have them take a slow breath all the way in, concentrating on the feeling of the belly rising, then slowly breathe all the way out, feeling their belly flatten. They can count the length of their breath: in for four counts, out for four.
Have your child lie on a long foam roller or three tightly rolled up towels. Have the roll going along the spine, supporting from the head to tailbone. Have your child rest their hands on the floor with the palms up and relax so the shoulder blades move down towards the floor. Breathe slowly and comfortably in this position for several minutes.
Helping children learn to manage their emotional state will have lifelong health benefits and could be another positive to come out of these ‘interesting times’. If you are concerned about your child we recommend a formal assessment with a Chiropractor. At LiveLoveLife we aim to support healthy growth & development in children and healthy spinal & brain function in everyone! If you have any questions please contact us at hello@livelovelifechiro.com.
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