Squeeze Something
If you have a stress ball or some playdough/silly putty squeeze it as hard as you can for a few minutes or until you start to feel a little better.
Muscle Relaxation
Tense all the muscles in your arms by making a fist and squeezing as hard as you can, holding for a few seconds and then letting go. Do this a few times and you should notice that you’re feeling more relaxed!
You can also do this with legs and other muscles in the body but they can be a little more difficult to explain!
Exercise
Sometimes a little run around the garden or some jumping jacks can help!
Chill out spot
Have a little quite spot in your bedroom or in the play room. Have all your favourite things to chill out with. When things get a bit much take a few minutes in your chill out spot.
Meditation/Mindfulness
Build some meditation/mindfulness time into your day you can find some great guided mindfulness/meditation videos on YouTube and other platforms.
References: Calming Anxiety. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2020, from https://copingskillsforkids.com/calming-anxiety
Did you find this article useful? If you’d like to help us extend the reach of our services and improve the lives of young people with intellectual disabilities, please donate here.