Mindfulness Practices for Children

Adults are quicker to recognize feelings of anxiety, stress, and frustration when they arise, but children and teenagers suffer from these emotions, too, and in many situations, they are less equipped to deal with them and may even lash out in response.

Mindfulness practices are used by adults to regain focus and unwind during periods of internal strife, but younger people can also use these techniques to remain calm in stressful environments and scenarios.

This Monday, look to encourage the children in your life to embrace the concept of mindfulness. Although the idea may seem abstract at first, DeStress Monday has developed a number of tools that can help children, adolescents, and teenagers get a better grasp of how mindfulness practices should make them feel and can help them still their minds.

The Mind Jar Snow Globe

Help your children avoid emotional blizzards with this mindfulness practice. First, imagine your thoughts and worries are like snowflakes being shaken in a snow globe. Breathe slowly and visualize your negative feelings falling down. Next, settle your mind as the snowflakes begin to rest on the ground. Finally, enjoy spending a mindful minute to remember and imprint these feelings of positivity and serenity.

Listening to the Rain

Simple sounds like the waves of the ocean or rain drops falling through the trees can be calming and relaxing. This mindful practice uses a guided meditation to clear your head and bring awareness to your surroundings. Whenever your child appears overwhelmed or agitated, try listening together to this guided meditation from Susan Kaiser Greenland focused on the sounds of falling rain.

Rainbow Walk

Being aware of what’s going on around you at any particular moment can help strengthen your focus and calm your mind. Take some time to really explore your environment, noticing the details of your surroundings. Make mental notes of all the different colors, shapes, and patterns. Slowly your disruptive or unpleasant thoughts will melt away into the background.

For another activity, in which you look for the whole rainbow of colors in your surroundings, try this practice from Mindful Teachers.