1. Deep Breathing Simply breathe in deeply, hold the breath for a moment, release it slowly.
Repeat the deep breathing until you feel relaxed.
2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation offers a wonderful way to relieve stress. This is accomplished by tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups in your body.
3. Exercise Walking, running, swimming and playing all provide the kind of exercise that children love. However, do not overlook exercising to music.
4. Visualisation
Visualisation is also known as visual guided imagery. This technique uses the imagination to slow down the chatter of the mind and help release negative thoughts and worries.
5. Laugh Laughter is a wonderful stress reliever that soothes tension and helps the body relax. You could try telling jokes, taking turns making silly faces, watching a funny show on tv.
6. Stretch Stretching relaxes built up tension in the muscles.
6. Listen to Music Listening to calming music can help a child regain focus. Even very young children may enjoy listening to relaxing classical music or the music of artists like Enya, for example.
8. Meditate Meditation techniques such as yoga or transcendental meditation, relax the mind and body.
9. Cuddle Encourage your child to cuddle with a pet or a hug a loved one. The interaction can lower blood pressure and decrease stress hormones.
10. Toe Tensing Toe tensing draws tension down from the rest of the body. This simple exercise should be repeated ten times each session.
And Don't Forget... Using any of these techniques for reducing your own stress and relaxation will also have a trickle-down effect for your child as well, and in conjunction with EFT will have amplified effects. EFT, specifically Finger Tapping is my "go to" stress buster for kids (and adults too)
If you are an EFT Practitioner and looking to specialise in working with Children and Teens then Jo "Tappy Jo" Picken's Specialist Practitioner Training is for you;