Finger breathing – how to calm anxious children

If you have ever tried to tell a young child who is in the grip of a big emotion to “Calm down,” you will know that often doesn’t work. Children need much more concrete strategies to help them cope when they are feeling overwhelmed. Like finger breathing. This is a great way for children to calm themselves down and manage anxiety and overwhelm. Teach them how to do it when they are in a calm moment (when they are overwrought is never a good time to get them to engage their learning brains!). And then prompt them to do their finger breathing when they need to reduce their fight-or-flight and find calm.

Here’s how to do it:

Not sure this is the right idea for your child? Watch this free video tutorial for lots more ideas for self soothe strategies. Find out about our specialised parenting support for parents of children with anxiety.

(This post is part of Twinkl Life’s Children’s Anxiety campaign, and is featured in their ‘Creative Calming Activities for Children with Anxiety’ post.)