The answer is…
True!
Deep breathing is a well researched strategy for calming your body when you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed. For many children in early elementary school returning to school can take some adjustment time and many students can experience moments of stress or anxiety. Understanding strategies for regulating your emotions and gaining control over your body and feelings can grant young children confidence in new situations and provide a sense of agency in an otherwise discombobulating moment.
Taking deep breaths allows more oxygen to flow to your brain and stimulates your relaxation response. When children are relaxed their brains are better able to pay attention in school and absorb new information.
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Learning Connections
Emotional Regulation is an essential skill that children begin to master in their early elementary years. A child is able to regulate their emotions when they can recognize what they are feeling and take actions to reset themselves to a neutral state. Deep breathing is a grounding activity that can help children recenter themselves when they are anxious or overwhelmed.
Extra Resources
For Adults
This article explains how deep breathing can calm your body.
Here you can read more on why deep breaths can relax your brain.
Learn more about emotional regulation here!
For Children
Do a deep breathing exercise with elmo! (2:26)
Practice more grounding activities with Maya! (3:03)
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