There is a seesaw cause and effect with self-esteem on one seat and anxiety on the other. As self-confidence drops, anxiety goes up. As self-esteem rises, anxiety drops.
Today’s article gives you some simple breathing tools to lower anxiety and raise self-esteem.
Anxiety produces changes in brain chemistry that cause physical reactions. One of the most common is that you become rigid with fear and barely breathe. Your heart races, blood pressure shoots up and your feel as though you might faint.
Three slow breaths in and out lower your heart rate, lower blood pressure and lower anxiety. That’s as simple a solution as you can find!
Say to yourself Breathe in 1, breathe out 1; breathe in 2, breathe out 2; breathe in 3, breathe out 3. Think about the breath coming into the lungs and going out of the lungs as you count. Try it right now. Don’t you feel a bit calmer and more clearheaded?
How long did that take? At most, 3 breaths in and out will take about 25 seconds. 25 seconds to lower anxiety with a simple breathing routine. It doesn’t cost a thing, you can repeat it endlessly whenever needed and any child of any age can do it.
Teach this breathing exercise to your child to use when s/he feels anxiety coming on. Do 1-2-3 breathing along with your child and lower your own heart rate. There’s no right or wrong for these breathing techniques, so just dive in and give it a try.
Repeating 1-2-3 breathing on a regular basis creates a tool for lowering anxiety. When I’m working with an anxiety-ridden child, I can see when their nerves begin to interfere. All I have to do is give the child a gentle reminder to count 3 breaths in and out – and do it with him/her. I then see the terror subside from the eyes and a smile spread across his/her face.
It will be such a relief for your child to have a simple tool to use any time his/her anxiety begins to take over. Having such tools at his/her fingertips is essential. Learning tools for children that do not require any outside props or adult assistance are empowering. This feeling of empowerment raises confidence.
After you’ve taught your child the exercise, and have repeated it many times with him/her, when you see the fear rising in his/her eyes, you can suggest that s/he use the 1-2-3 breathing. Leave the choice to do 1-2-3 breathing up to him/her. If s/he choose not to use it, that’s fine.
If you show an interest in using 1-2-3 breathing for yourself, your child will catch on. Eventually the motivation to do 1-2-3 breathing in a tense situation has to come from your child choosing to use it and having a successful experience or two.
Be playful with 1-2-3 breathing and have fun!
Visit us at http://www.SuperheroSelfEsteem.com for more tips on strong, simple self-assurance and Get Superhero Self-Esteem™ Workshop in Brief FREE!
Sally Morgan
Sally Morgan is passionately motivated to save children from the agony of growing up with low self-esteem. As an expert vocal trainer and coach, Sally has brilliantly converted the techniques she developed to train her rock star voice students, into a program that boots kids confidence with a unique inside-out method. It is her tender care for children that makes Sally the perfect hip grandmother to help kids become confident and know that they are capable of anything!
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Super Hero Self Esteem
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