It’s safe to say, that the theme for the last year has been uncertainty. From two metre distances to suddenly everything being online, we know that everyone’s had to learn how to do things differently. We’ve all had to learn how to expect daily changes, and most importantly slow down. And we know how challenging it’s been for children & young people as well.
That’s why we’re here to help! Alongside our extensive educational resources (Perfect for online & home-based learning), our team has been busy conjuring up a FREE downloadable Mindfulness pack. We recommend using it to introduce your child to the importance of emotional wellbeing. The pack features five fun activities, designed to build mindfulness into everyday life & help your child destress & refresh. If you’re interested in understanding more about the techniques in the pack, read on (Includes FREE Mindfulness Activity Pack)
Grounding
Grounding is a popular & helpful mindfulness technique. It enables you to be present & stay in the moment, helping to reduce stress & anxious thoughts. During school closures, it’s easy to feel worried and unsure of what will happen in the future. Our pack features an activity-based utilising the ‘5-4-3-2-1’ method, to help your child understand how to navigate the uncertainty and build-up resilience.
Positive Affirmations
In times of stress, its easy to be too hard on ourselves. Mindfulness encourages non-judgemental acknowledgement and acceptance of our thoughts & feelings. Exercises like writing positive affirmations help to challenge negative thoughts. Although, it is important to remember that a mindful mindset is about acknowledging not ignoring your emotions. Positive affirmations help you to recognise when you’re being too hard on yourself, but they shouldn’t tell you to be happy all the time.
Colouring
Who doesn’t love colouring & doodling? Art-based activities are good for engaging the brain into a relaxed state, increasing creativity & relaxation. It’s a great way to help kids destress during a screen-break helping them to form hobbies offline. With doodling, it can be a great way to help kids concentrate & stay grounded.
Deep Breathing Exercises
Breathe in…and out. Deliberately controlling your breath is a simple way to help relax and goes hand in hand with mindfulness. It works by bringing focus to your breath, an indicator of how you might be feeling. For example, when we feel nervous, we tend to breathe quite quickly. Taking several long slow breaths can help calm us and help us be connected to the present.
Click here to download your FREE Mindfulness Activity pack. Be sure to keep on the lookout for even more Wellbeing packs, but for more joy in the meantime make sure you visit our Resources section.
Happy learning everyone!