Calming Tools: Feel Better Fast

When you’re feeling angry, upset, or nervous, these fun exercises can help you feel better. Try one step at a time!

1. Fun Breathing Exercises

🌟 Breathe in calm, blow out worries! 🌟

🌈 Rainbow Breathing

1. Close your eyes and imagine a big rainbow.

2. Breathe in (big sniff!) as you draw the rainbow up in your mind.

3. Breathe out (slow blow!) as you finish the rainbow.

4. Do this 5 times—watch your rainbow get brighter!

(Use soft blue text for "Breathe in" and orange for "Breathe out.")

🟩 Bubble Breathing

1. Pretend you're blowing bubbles.

2. Take a big breath in—make it extra deep!

3. Blow out slowly and gently, like you’re making the biggest bubble ever!

4. See the bubbles float away. Imagine your worries floating away too.

(Add bubble images or use light blue for the "blowing" sections.)

🟦 Square Breathing

1. Imagine a square in your mind.

2. Breathe in as you draw one side, 1, 2, 3, 4.

3. Hold your breath as you draw the next side, 1, 2, 3, 4.

4. Breathe out on the third side, 1, 2, 3, 4.

5. Pause on the last side, 1, 2, 3, 4.

6. Keep going until you feel calm.

(Draw a simple square with arrows for guidance. Use green text for steps.)

2. Self-Soothing Movements

💗 Be your own best friend! 💗

💆‍♀️ Relax Shoulders

• Stand tall and let your shoulders drop down like they’re super heavy.

• Feel how light your arms get when you relax!

🦵 Bend Your Knees

• Stand with your feet apart, and bend your knees a little.

• Feel how strong and steady you are! You’re a superhero!

🤲 Arm Strokes

• Hug yourself gently by crossing your arms over your chest.

• Slowly stroke down your arms, like you’re giving yourself a cosy hug.

• Repeat until you feel calm.

3. Fun Grounding Ideas

🌍 Stay connected to now! 🌍

🟡 5-4-3-2-1 Game

Look for:

5 things you see

• 
  

  4 things you feel

  
  

  3 things you hear

  
  

  2 things you smell

  
  

  1 thing you taste

🌿 Barefoot Grounding

• If it’s safe, take your shoes off!

• 
  

• Wiggle your toes and feel the ground. Is it warm? Cool? Soft?

🔊 Listen to Sounds

• Close your eyes and listen carefully.

• Can you hear birds? Wind? Your breathing? Focus on the quiet sounds.

4. Gentle Stretching Moves

🧘‍♂️ Stretch it out to feel good!

Cat Stretch: On your hands and knees, arch your back up like a cat, then drop it low like a sleepy dog.

Star Stretch: Reach your arms and legs out as far as they can go. Be the biggest star you can!

Neck Rolls: Slowly roll your head around in a circle. Go both ways.

5. Reflective Journaling

📖 Draw or write about your feelings.

Step 1: What happened? Draw it! Use colours to show how it felt.

Step 2: Write a word for each feeling: mad, sad, calm, happy.

Step 3: What could help? Draw or write it! Maybe it’s hugging someone, taking a breath, or doing something fun.

When all else fails and your system is overloaded, you can try pushing on

a wall as if trying to push it over (or push ups on the floor).

Jumping jacks are another way to release

all that pent up energy (make sure you have enough space).

Or, you could try doing the opposite!

You could spend a few moments focusing on one body

part at time (say the face, then neck and shoulders, then the spine)

and see if you can completely relax it and keep it relaxed ! It is a skill well worth learning especially if you combine it with the calming breathing techniques or the self soothing!

Encourage your child to do which ever of these feels best for them at the time.

Remember you need to stay calm to stop the overwhelm escalating.

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where children can get the help and support they need at a highly reduced cost.

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