Imagine the most anxious moment you’ve had in the last month. The most frustrated you’ve been? The saddest you’ve been? How did that feel and how did you cope?

Now imagine you have no knowledge of coping mechanisms and no way to identify what you’re feeling or what’s causing you stress. It gives me anxiety just to think about feeling that way! In a way, you’re trapped with your emotions and you don’t have a way out.

That’s the life of a little kiddo. There’s a lot left for them to learn about themselves. Until this development happens, we do have some tools to coach them with a few clever tricks. Bring calm to the chaos with the following tips.

1. Be calm, yourself! Before you try these tricks with your kids, make sure your nervous system is in a state of calm. Research shows that being in the presence of calm creates calm. How do you calm your nervous system? Do you have a mindfulness routine? Kids are smarter than we give them credit - they will learn from you and emulate you whether you realize it or not. Try these tricks for YOU first, then help your kids. Put your oxygen mask on first before helping others.

2. Feel your surroundings - your back against the chair, your feet on the ground, the wind in your face. Kids respond well to naming something they see, something they hear, something they smell, and something they feel. It brings one back into their physical body, into the reality of the world in front of them instead of being stuck in their spiraling thoughts. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 trick: Name 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste.

3. Alternate nostril breathing. This is the ultimate brain balancer! Hold up your right thumb and pointer finger like pinchers on a crab. Use your thumb to press on your right nostril to close it and breathe in through your left nostril. Hold your breath while you switch: put your pointer finger on the outside of your left nostril to close it. Breathe out and back in through your right nostril. Switch again.

4. Deep, loud breaths. Have your child breathe deep into their tummy (not their chest) and blow it out loudly. Bonus points if they can blow out through their lips like a horse. Blowing bubbles with a wand can help if your child is too young to consciously control their breath.

5. Time spent outside playing. This is medicine for little bodies. As the weather gets warmer here in Wisconsin, encourage creative, imaginative playtime in your yard or in the park. The combination of fresh air and movement will do their bodies and brains a world of good. While they’re at it, join them!

6. Coloring or some other creative outlet. There’s a reason why adult coloring books have made a resurgence (look for new books & pens in the office - just for the grown-ups!). Simple, meditative creative work distracts the mind enough to stop the neurological cycle of anxiety. My favorite coloring pages come from Color Happy.

7. Evaluate their gut health. Your gut and the “happy chemicals” in your brain are closely related. If your child struggles with anxiety, this could be one thing to check. Step one is cleaning up their diet and getting them on a good probiotic. This will be a solid foundation on which you can add more anxiety-relieving strategies.

8. Drawing your feelings. Using a whiteboard & dry erase marker, have your child draw what they’re feeling and draw what they would like to feel. You can also tell them a story and tell them to draw what each character is feeling. The whiteboard makes this feel fun, but they’re secretly learning how to identify their own emotions and the emotions of others.

9. The Smiling Minds app is a free resource with many guided “mediations” made especially for kids. It was designed for teachers to use in the classroom, but there’s no reason parents or caregivers can’t download it and use it all day everyday.

The 10th bonus way is, you guessed it, get adjusted! I’m a neurological chiropractor, so I focus a lot on down regulating your and your child’s nervous systems. Visit our Family Care page for more information about my care practices for littles.