Background: School creates stress, pressure, and anxiety, which can have a negative effect on students’ health and ability to learn. One of the best ways to calm the nervous system and to quiet the brain is to breathe.
Today in Class: We learned belly breathing. Students placed a hand on their stomachs and breathed in deeply through their noses, feeling their bellies expand before their chests. Then they breathed out slowly through their mouths. They continued this practice for one minute and then checked their levels of stress.
Self-Reflection: How stressed are you? Place a hand on your stomach and inhale slowly through your nose, letting your stomach expand like a balloon. Then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat until you feel calmer.
At-Home Support
Discuss belly breathing with your child:
- Today, you learned a breathing strategy to feel calmer. What was it? (Belly breathing)
- Can you show me how to do it? Why do you put your hand on your stomach? (To make sure it expands before the chest does.)
- Can we try this together?
- I think I could use this strategy when ______________ .
- Let's try it together.
- When will you use this strategy?
Student Reflection
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