As a child I was prettified if speaking in front of audiences. Even crowds of 5 would cause me anxiety. It would show itself as excitement. If get a burst of energy and suddenly become hyper and manic.
This can also happen in children. They become so excitable that it’s hard to understand what is happening or how to deal with it.
Here are 10 simple ways to help overstimulated children calm down.
1. Ask them to help you carry something heavy, or engage large muscle groups in the body.
2. Get a tight hug from a friend or family member.
3. Draw a figure eight in a box of sand with each hand. Repeat and concentrate on breathing as they draw.
4. Do 20 star jumps, relax and count your breaths.
5. With eyes closed, ask children to focus on what they see, hear, feel and bring their attention back to their body.
6. Wash your hands for 2 minutes and really feel the water.
7. Ball your hands into fists, then relax, tense entire body, then relax.
8. Breathe in, hold. Breathe out, hold. Repeat 4 times.
9. Grab a textured object, feel it and describe how it feels on your skin.
10. Jump up and down for 30 seconds. Put your hand on your chest and count the heartbeats.
With the right mechanisms in place we can also understand how to calm our body and mind.
#primaryschool
