Stress Relief Techniques for Children
These two stress relief techniques for children are designed to create healthy emotional habits. The first tool strengthens positive emotions like love, caring and appreciation. The second tool helps children shift from upsetting stressful emotions to positive emotions. Both of these stress relief techniques for children build resiliency and emotional maturity. Download PDF
Shift and Shine®: Enhancing Positive Emotions (ages 3 – 6)
Begin by telling the child he or she is going to learn how to send positive feelings from the heart.
What do you care about?
First model by telling the child who or what you care about. Now ask them who they care about. Say: “When you love or care for someone or something, where do you feel that love?” Put your hand over your heart (center of the chest as a visible clue).
Ask the child: “Do you ever have a warm feeling in your heart when you feel love or care for someone? It’s kind of like the warmth from the sun. Have you ever felt the warmth of the sun on your skin? What does that feel like? When we feel love, appreciation or care for someone or something special, it’s like the warmth from the sun shining in our hearts.”
Explain the meaning of “shift”
Tell the child: “Shift means to move or change, such as going from sad to happy or moving from one place to another.” Demonstrate the meaning of shift by shifting from one position to another (for example from sitting to laying down.)
Teach the technique
Step 1:
“Begin by putting your attention on the area around your heart or the center of your chest. It helps to put your hand over your heart area.” Model by putting your hand over your heart.
Step 2:
“Now pretend to breathe in and out of your heart. Take three slow breaths.” Model the breathing.
Step 3:
“Think of someone or something that makes you feel happy, like your mom or dad or maybe a special place that you visit, like a park. Feel that happy feeling in your heart and then shine that feeling to someone or something special.”
Let the child experience the feeling for a few seconds. The length of time will increase with each exercise.
Then ask:”Did you send your love to someone special? Thank you for sharing your heart felt feelings.” We can get together soon to share more fun experiences about your heart.
Shift and Shine® is a registered trademark of the Institute of HeartMath
The HeartShiftTM Tool: Calming Practice for Children (ages 11 – 17)
The HeartShift Tool helps children calm down and think more clearly. It teaches how to feel better when you are upset and how to shift from a negative emotion to a positive emotion.
Teach the meaning of “focus”
Say: “Let’s try to shift your attention to your toes. Focus on your right toe: Wiggle it. Focus on your nose: Wiggle it. Now point to your heart and focus there. At first, placing your hand on your heart in the beginning will help you focus.”
Step 1: Notice what you are feeling
Say: “Take a moment and ask yourself, “How am I feeling?” Say out loud what you are feeling.” Prompt for simple negative emotions like hurt, sad, mad. “OK, that’s great. Now let’s go to Step 2 to practice HeartShift.”
Step 2: Shift to your heart.
Say: “Put two fingers on your forehead and then move them from your head to your heart while saying, ‘Focus on the area of my heart.’ Take a moment and keep your focus there for practice. Let’s go to Step 3.”
Step 3: Breathe a feeling of calm.
Say: “Breathe slowly and easily. Imagine the air flowing in and out of your heart area. Take your time breathing in and out. Do this three to five times. What changes did you notice in your body? How do you feel now?”
