All breathing strategies focus on the need for moving away from Fight/Flight mode and increasing oxygen in your bloodstream can help with this task. Deep breathing physically impacts your body and the ability to calm down and reduce stress levels.

Smell the Flower, Blow Out the Candle

Many younger children are familiar with this from their classrooms. They learn to take a deeb breath through their nose by being prompted to smell the flowers and then exhale through their mouth by being prompted to blow out the candles.

Lazy 8 Breathing

Kids can use their finger to trace the figure 8 on their palm. Inhale while crossing the center point and exhale on the outer loops of the figure 8.

Balloon Breathing

Explain that our lungs are like balloons and we must fill the balloons (inhale) and then empty the balloons (exhale).

5 Finger Breathing

Some kids prefer this technique using our open hand with extended fingers to guide our breathing. As you trace your open hand with the finger from your opposite hand you are breathing in at the low points and breathing out on the high points creating 5 deep breaths.