Mindfulness Activities for Anxious Children

Anxiety in children can manifest differently than it does in adults, but it often is just as intense and overwhelming. For many children, anxiety typically presents as excessive worry or fear about events that may or may not happen. These fears are usually centered around school performance, social interactions, or even separation from parents.

If left unaddressed, anxiety can lead to physical symptoms like stomachaches, headaches, and sleep issues. Children may also avoid situations, become clingy, or have bigger reactions than expected. Over time, anxiety can negatively impact social, emotional, and academic development. Some children may appear highly responsible, quiet, or well-behaved on the surface, making their struggles easier to miss.

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, “Hey, this sounds like my kid!”, there are ways that you can support them through this. Validating their feelings, encouraging the use of coping strategies, and pursuing counseling services when needed can all be useful strategies. Parents looking for additional strategies may also benefit from reading our blog on Helping Your Anxious Child: Tools and Tips for Parents.

So what is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of paying focused, non-judgmental attention to the present moment. This is done through observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise in our bodies, without trying to change or judge them. Mindfulness helps to cultivate awareness and acceptance of our emotions and experiences, leading to a sense of calmness and reduced anxiety.

How does this help with anxiety?

Because mindfulness encourages focusing on the present moment, it helps to ground our minds and reduce overthinking about things we are worried about. Observing our anxious thoughts without judgment, recognizing they are temporary, and using specific exercises all help to reduce the effect of anxiety and allow for a more balanced response to stressors and triggers. Also, by doing deep breathing exercises or body scanning, our body’s relaxation response is activated, and physical symptoms begin to calm down, too!

For children whose anxiety continues to interfere with daily functioning, school, or relationships, professional anxiety counseling can provide additional support and coping tools.

How can my child use this at home?

Mindfulness can come in many forms, meaning there are several options to choose from depending on what you need each day. Below are a few of the most common mindfulness exercises that are easy for children with anxiety to use, both at home and at school.If your child is older, many of these same grounding and mindfulness strategies can also support teens experiencing anxiety. See our blog on How To Help A Teenager With Anxiety: Tips For Parents.

As with any new skill, practice makes perfect, so I would encourage you to do it alongside your child while they are learning. It might even help you, too! Practicing calming strategies together can strengthen connection and emotional safety, which is one reason co-regulation is so powerful for anxious children.

If you’re wondering whether your child’s worries may be something more, we also offer a free parent guide on 20 Signs of Anxiety in Kids and How to Help, filled with practical strategies and early warning signs to look for.

Breathing Exercises:

As mentioned earlier, anxiety can drastically affect our bodies and cause many physical symptoms, such as rapid heart rate, dysregulated nervous system, shallow breathing, and muscle tension. Breathing exercises can help activate the body’s relaxation response and help to manage these symptoms. Here are some that are easy to remember.

3/3/3: Breathe in for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds, and breathe out for three seconds. Do this a few times, at a steady pace.

Belly Breathing: Focuses on breathing deeply into the diaphragm (belly), rather than shallow chest breathing, which helps activate the relaxation response.

4/7/8: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1:

This grounding exercise is designed specifically to reduce anxiety and manage feelings of stress and worry. This is an exercise that can easily be done in school, as it only involves identifying the senses in our head.

• What are 5 things that you can see? (colors, shapes, surroundings)

• What are 4 things that you can feel? (clothes, shoes, my chair)

• What are 3 things that you can hear? (clock, air conditioning)

• What are 2 things that you can smell? (scent, perfume)

• What is 1 thing that you can taste? (snack, my last meal)

Body Scan:

Doing this encourages self-awareness of sensations your child otherwise might be ignoring, in three easy steps.

1. Have your child sit comfortably, legs criss-crossed or feet flat on the ground if sitting in a chair. Try to reduce any distractions, noise, or potential disturbances.

2. Once they are comfortable, have them close their eyes and bring their attention to their toes.

3. Moving up the body, have them notice any sensations as their attention travels from their feet to their ankles, calves, knees, etc., all the way up to their head. Encourage them to notice any differences they feel after completing this exercise.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation:

When we feel anxious, but are not in a place that is safe enough to process this anxiety, our bodies will hold onto that feeling while our attention might be distracted by other things. This can lead to our bodies being tense, tight, and stiff throughout the day, which can cause discomfort without us even realizing it. That is where this exercise comes in handy! Not only is it great at relieving stress and tension, it can also easily be done at school while they are sitting at their desks.

1. Sit, stand, or lie down in a comfortable position. Once situated, start to notice any areas of tightness in the body. 

2. Starting with a specific muscle group of choice, such as the feet and legs, tense those muscles by squeezing as hard as possible for 5-10 seconds.

3. After 5-10 seconds, release the muscles and breath. Notice any sensations that may come up.

4. Continue on to the next muscle group, moving through the body until finished.

Looking for More?

Mindfulness activities can be a powerful tool for children dealing with anxiety, offering them practical skills to manage their emotions and navigate stressful situations. By incorporating activities like deep breathing, body scans, and others into their daily routine, children can learn to calm their minds, build emotional resilience, and develop a greater sense of self-awareness. These are just a few activities that can be useful, but if you need more help or are looking for professional interventions, feel free to learn more about our Child Therapy Services and how we support children struggling with anxiety and emotional regulation.