Embedded Files
Coping skills are activities anyone can do to help manage difficult thoughts and feelings or challenging situations. It’s important for everyone to know and use coping skills. Not all coping skills work in every situation, so it’s good to have a variety to help manage different challenges.
Physical Activities
Physical Activities
Jump high - Challenge your child to a jumping contest to see who can jump highest, longest, fastest, or slowest. This is another great way to get in some exercise to help your child blow off some steam.
Try an inversion - Whether it’s relaxing in child’s pose, bending over to touch your toes, or practicing a headstand, inverting the body has a restorative effect on the autonomic nervous system, which controls the body’s response to stress.
Push against a wall - This trick is perfect for allowing the body to get rid of stress hormones without having to go outside or even leave the room. Have your child try to push the wall over for 10 seconds, 3 times. This process allows the muscles to contract in a futile attempt to bring the wall down, then relax, releasing feel-good hormones into the body.
Take a bike ride - It is safe to go outdoors (keeping six feet social distance), and the fresh air and spring flowers are a reminder of all that is going well in the world. Pedalling a bicycle is rhythmic and repetitive - just what our nervous systems need to return to a calm state.
Visualize a quiet place - Ask your child to close their eyes and picture a calm, peaceful place. Then, gently guide them to slowly start to build up a picture of how it looks, smells, and feels to be there.
Window gazing - Find a window with a view of the outdoors. Challenge your child to stand and look out for 5 minutes. Ask them to share their observations. What wildlife did they see? What is the weather? Did they see any people? What were they doing?
Body Scan - This is a form of visualization that can help children and adults feel more connected with their bodies. This is a good one to practice with children who are showing that they feel scared by being overly silly, out of control, or inattentive.
Visualization & Mindfulness
Visualization & Mindfulness
Music
Music
Sing out loud - The physical act of singing out loud has been shown to release endorphins, the “feel good” chemical in the brain. Singing with others also helps to synchronize our energy levels.
Play music - Music has a profound effect on mood, sleep, stress, and anxiety. Use a variety of musical styles to set the tone in your home, car, or your child’s room. There are a number of playlists available on YouTube and Spotify with songs at 60 beats per minute (bpm). This is our resting heart rate and a great tempo to send a message to alerted nervous systems that it is ok to relax.
Have a dance party - Adding a physical component to your musical enjoyment gets your kids moving and is a fun way to be active.
Come up with your own inspiring chant - Kids love chanting and the rhythm and repetition are great for activating the calming systems of our brain and body. Start with a word or phrase that your children need to hear, such as “I am safe and sound!” or “We’re gonna stick together!” Then, put it to a rhythm (try adding foot stomping or clapping) and repeat. Think Queen’s song “We Will Rock You” if you need inspiration.
Breathe into your belly - Most of us breathe incorrectly, especially when we are in a stressful situation. Have your child think about their belly like it is a balloon. Tell them to breathe in deep to fill the balloon, and breathe out to deflate it. Repeat this simple process 5 times and notice the effects. Or, have them lie on their back and place a stuffed animal on their belly. Tell them to make the animal rise and fall. They will have to breathe into their bellies to do so!
Flower and Candle Breath. Have your child imagine they’re holding a flower in their hand, now have them breathe in as if they were smelling the flower. Then ask them to imagine a birthday candle, and have them pretend to blow it out.
Square Breath. Have your child use their finger to draw a square in the air. Start at any corner and inhale for a line and then exhale for the next line until they complete the square.
Breathing Activities
Breathing Activities
Writing
Writing
Write it out - For older children, journaling, or writing their feelings down can have a profound effect on their mood, especially if they can do so without the fear of having it read. Give your child a notebook to keep in a safe place, and allow them to write about how they feel, assuring them you will not read it unless they ask you to.
Write a letter to family or friends - As life slows to a snail’s pace, why not give snail mail a try again? Children will miss their friends and family, and this is a good way to stay connected.
Keep an appreciation wall - Have family members write appreciations for each other on post it notes. Post up on a wall where all can see it, and be reminded of how much they are loved.
Make a “feelings” time capsule - Every day, write 2-3 sentences about what is happening around you, what songs you are listening to, how you are spending your time, and how you feel about it. Roll papers up and put in a ball jar with a label “ To be opened in 1 year.” It will be so interesting to look back on this time from a different perspective.
You can help your children feel a sense of control and manage their feelings by encouraging them to take action directly related to the disaster.
Social Cause - Have teens join Dosomething.org, a digital platform for creating social change through volunteering and campaigns--something they can do from home.
Poster Making - Have kids make posters of encouragement to put in the windows of your home.
Declutter - Take the opportunity to de-clutter something--a backpack, bedroom, drawer, toybox, etc.
Connect with Family - Have kids call or text a family member who may be isolated or sick. Have them share a funny story, piece of art or something they brought home from school.
Taking Action
Taking Action
Balloon Toss/Miss: Involves having the balloon purposely tossed in a place where you will have to dive dramatically and whiff at it, and then groan really loudly when you hit the floor.
Make an Obstacle Course. Use masking tape, cushions, cardboard boxes, etc to create a path.
Charades. Household members take turns acting out titles of books, movies, TV Shows without using words. The others guess what they are trying to say.
Minute-to-Win-It Games. These are hilarious and only require items found around your house.
Connect Through Play
Connect Through Play
Play is a child’s built-in system for processing difficult emotions, especially when it is with a caring, calm adult. They may use their play time to say and do things that are triggering or frustrating to adults, but just remember that your primary role is to keep the play safe, have fun, and to let them know that they are safe and powerful. Laughter is a great way to release tension!
Page updated
Report abuse