How to help your child quickly relieve nervous tension and excitement. Let's make a paper garland. Clearing emotional debris

Children often face stressful situations and traditional methods, such as deep breathing, do not always help to cope with it. When a child needs a quick release of stress, try one of the following suggestions.

1. Turn the baby upside down. Many centuries ago, yogis discovered that the position of the body, in which the head is below the level of the heart, has a calming effect on the body. To relax, the child needs to bend over, reaching for his toes with his palms, or stand on his head. The inverted body position strengthens the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for the stress response of the body.

2. Try visualization. Research shows that visualization reduces stress levels. Invite your child to close their eyes and imagine a quiet, peaceful place. Then help him visualize the picture in detail. Ask what this place looks like, what smells there, what the child feels while being there.

3. Offer your child water. Dehydration leads to a decrease in mental productivity. Let your child drink a glass of cold water and sit for a while. Drink a glass of water yourself, and you will notice how this procedure calms the nervous system.

4. Sing something. Everyone knows that favorite songs cheer up. In addition, loud singing (even if you are a little out of tune) contributes to the production of “hormones of happiness” - endorphins.

5. Get into Downward Dog Pose. The pose, known in yoga as the "Down-Facing Dog", as well as the inverted position of the body, restores the autonomic nervous system. It also stretches the muscles of the arms, legs, and torso, which leads to the burning of glucose levels produced as a result of the body's reactions to stress.

6. Draw. Drawing not only helps to distract from the source of stress, but also develops stress resistance. If even the thought of a child drawing with paint scares you, let the child draw, for example, with shaving cream on the curtain in the shower. The curtain will be easy to wash, and the child will not smear everything around.

7. Jump rope. Set a timer for two minutes, turn on the music, and let your child jump rope to the beat of the music. If it is difficult for a child to jump rope, he can simply bounce in place.

8. Jump high. Arrange a competition with your child who will jump higher, further or faster. This is another simple yet powerful way to blow off some steam through physical activity.

9. Let bubble. Blowing on a turntable or blowing soap bubbles - such activities will help the child control breathing and, at the same time, normalize the state of the psyche. In addition, the child will surely enjoy running after bursting bubbles.

10. Take a hot bath. After a hard day at work, there is nothing more pleasant than to lie in hot tub in total silence and subdued light. This procedure will also help the child to calm down, relax and be distracted from all activities. Let him take his favorite toy into the bathroom with him and rest for as long as he needs.

11. Accept cold shower. Although this method is completely opposite to the previous one, it also strengthens the body. Cold or even cool showers help relieve muscle tension, improves blood flow to the heart, significantly improves mood. A study in which people who practice hardening took part showed that regular bathing in cold water reduces stress, fatigue, depression and negative emotions. For very young children, swimming in cold water is undesirable. It is better to gradually reduce the temperature of the water or try a contrast shower.

12. Drink warm drinks. Warm drinks on a cool day give the body a feeling of warmth. It's like a hug from the inside. A cup of hot chocolate or warm milk will help the baby quickly come into a state of harmony.

13. Blow out the candles. Light a candle and have your child blow it out. Then light it again, but at the same time move it slightly away from the child. Each time the child will need to breathe deeper and deeper to blow out the candle. So in a playful way you can teach your child deep breathing.

14. Watch aquarium fish. Have you ever wondered why hospitals often have aquariums? According to studies, watching aquarium fish lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Moreover, the larger the aquarium, the more effective its action. When you need to soothe your child, take him to a local pond or aquarium for a little "fish therapy."

15. Count from 100 to 1. Counting backwards not only allows the child to take his mind off what is bothering him. It also develops concentration and is useful for preschoolers as preparation for school.

16. Chant mantras. Come up with a mantra that the child can use to calm them down. Phrases such as “I am calm” or “I am confident” will work well.

17. Breathe in your belly. Most of us breathe incorrectly, especially in stressful situations. Invite the child to imagine that his stomach is a balloon. The child must breathe deeply to fill the balloon with air. Repeat this simple exercise five times and you will see that the child will become much calmer.

18. Go for a run. Running reduces stress more effectively than a visit to a psychologist. A ten-minute light jog will not only improve your child's mood, but will also allow you to cope with stress for several hours.

19. Count to five. When your child feels like he can't control his emotions, invite him to close his eyes and count to five. This kind of five-second meditation will allow the brain to “reboot” and look at the situation from a different perspective. It also teaches the child to think carefully before performing any action in a stressful situation.

20. Speak out. Children who are able to freely talk about their feelings and what is bothering them learn early to understand the situations that are happening and their own attitude towards them. Parents should not immediately advise the child how to solve the problem. First, listen to the child and ask him leading questions to help clarify the situation.

21. Write a letter to yourself. We will never be as critical of our friend as we are of ourselves. The same thing happens in children. Teach them to be kind to themselves, and in difficult situations, ask what they would say to their best friend in such a situation.

22. Decorate the wall. We are not talking about paints and decorations, you can just hang a poster or a picture from a magazine on the wall. This will help the child to show their creativity. In this case, the creative process itself is important, not the result.

23. Make a visualization board. Have your child cut out phrases and pictures from magazines that illustrate their interests and dreams. Stick them on a special board on the wall. Such an activity will help the child not only figure out what he wants from life, but also allow him to be distracted from the source of stress in difficult moments, focusing his attention on what he is really interested in.

24. Hug your baby or let him hug you.. Hugs help release oxytocin, a hormone that makes you work immune systems organism. A 20-second hug reduces blood pressure, improves well-being and reduces the stress response of the body. Hugs will benefit both you and your baby.

25. Walk in nature. According to research, a 50-minute walk in nature improves thought processes and reduces stress levels. If you don’t have that much free time, then even a 15-minute walk in the fresh air will help your child cope with stress.

26. Imagine yourself in a few years. it great way motivate the child to set goals for the future and strive for them. Have him write down how he wants to see himself in a week, a month, a year or more.

27. Blow on the pinwheel. As with candles, this exercise trains the child's breathing, but here the emphasis is on a controlled exhalation, rather than a deep breath. The child must make the spinner spin slowly, then quickly, then slowly again. So he learns to regulate his breathing.

28. Sculpt from plasticine. During sculpting, the areas of the brain responsible for stress responses become inactive as the impulses activate other areas of the brain. You can buy plasticine in the store or make it yourself.

29. Work with clay. A similar effect is observed when working with clay. Let your child sculpt something out of clay or make a cup with a potter's wheel. This is also a great opportunity for a child to learn something interesting and form a new practical skill.

30. Write. In older children, keeping a diary or simply writing down their feelings on paper has a positive effect on mood, especially if they are sure that no one reads these entries. Give your child a notebook and let him describe his feelings. Reassure the child that no one will read his notes until he asks for it. Constant journaling has a positive effect on the memory, concentration and thinking of the child.

31. Give thanks. In addition to describing feelings, invite the child to write down who and for what he is grateful. It helps improve school performance and reduce stress levels. To do this, you can start a separate "notebook of gratitude."

32. Name your emotions. The inability to recognize negative emotions often causes stress in children. If the child is angry, panicking, or suffering from perfectionism, ask him to name this feeling, give it a name. Then help your child deal with negativity. For example, ask your child: “Are you worried about being perfect again?” In this playful way, you can discuss how to overcome perfectionism, and the child will not be left alone with his feeling.

33. Swing. Swinging not only strengthens the muscles of the legs and torso, but also reduces stress levels (this is the effect of rocking movements). Give your child a ride on a swing or they can ride on their own to calm their emotions.

34. Push the wall. This is a good way to get rid of stress hormones without leaving the room. The child must push the wall for 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise three times. The alternation of muscle effort and relaxation leads to the production of “happiness hormones”.

35. Wrinkle thin paper. Crumpled paper is one of the favorite activities of young children. They are soothed not only by the rustle of paper, but also by its texture. Sensory impulses activate certain areas of the brain that reduce stress levels.

36. Pop the bubbles on the package. Buy some of this material and cut into small pieces to soothe the child in times of stress.

37. Roll a tennis ball across your back. This procedure acts as a light soothing massage. Do it when your baby needs soothing touches. Massage the shoulders, neck and lower back - these areas are most tense at the time of stress.

38. Massage your feet with a small ball. It helps improve circulation and works on specific points on the feet to help relieve stress and tension in the leg muscles. The child can roll the ball over the entire surface of the foot, stepping on it with different strengths.

39. Identify a "quiet place" in the house. The child should have a certain place in the house where he can come to his senses in moments of loss of control over emotions. In this place, the child should feel as comfortable as possible in order to be able to have a good rest and restore peace of mind.

40. Listen to music. Music improves mood healthy sleep, reduces stress and anxiety. Listen to various styles of music, install optimal level volume in the house, car and the child's bedroom.

41. Throw a dance party. Physical activity combined with the pleasure of music will benefit the child. He will enjoy such activity combined with entertainment. If the child is in a bad mood, turn up the music and have a dance party in the room. The mood of the child will instantly rise.

42. Shout. Sometimes Bad mood the child is due to the fact that he is overwhelmed with too many emotions. Let the child assume a free position and imagine how emotions flow through his body from his toes to his mouth. To release them, the child needs to scream loudly.

43. Change the environment. When we experience strong negative emotions, sometimes we just need to get out of the house. A change of scenery will help the baby quickly calm down. If you are at home, go for a walk. Find a quiet place outside to sit down. Change the environment and this will help the child quickly regain composure.

44. Go for a walk. We often go for walks in order to put things in order in our thoughts. Not only fresh air has a calming effect on us, but also natural rhythms nature. Go for a walk with your child, and perhaps he will share with you the reasons for his bad mood.

45. Plan a fun activity. When you are worried about something, it seems that walls are pressing against you and the world is about to collapse. Some children need help looking to the future to distract them from their internal dialogue. Plan some fun activities for the whole family, let the child participate in its discussion. Any topic related to the future will be useful to him.

46. ​​Bake bread. All grandmothers in the world know that the process of baking bread helps to get rid of stress. You can find many easy bread recipes on the internet. The child can independently mix the ingredients and knead the dough. He will definitely like the result of your collaboration.

47. Weave a bracelet. Working with hands causes a state of complete absorption in the occupation. Activities such as knitting, embroidery, or any other activity that helps the baby to forget about external circumstances have a similar effect.

48. Ride a bike. Cycling is slowly losing popularity among children. But cycling is not only good for the joints, it also improves balance and physical endurance. You can organize cycling trips for the whole family.

49. Color in coloring books. Coloring pages are a great way to entertain and calm a child, develop fine motor skills and concentration. Buy your child crayons and felt-tip pens and color the pages of coloring books with him.

These, it would seem, simple ways help not only improve psycho-emotional state child of any age, but also to teach him to better understand and cope with negative emotions. These skills will serve him well throughout his life.

Vkontakte

In our country, 15-20% of children fall under this diagnosis (in boys, this syndrome occurs 3-4 times more often than in girls).

ADHD results from dysfunction of the central nervous system(CNS) of the child. In particular, a specific system of the brain suffers, which ensures the coordination of learning and memory, the processing of incoming information, and the retention of attention. Inadequate processing of information leads to the fact that various visual, sound, emotional stimuli become redundant for the child, causing anxiety and irritation, which makes it impossible to concentrate on anything for a long time.

Of course, without using effective drugs hard to get by. There are quite a few of these today, for example, one of them is cerebrolysin. However, do not forget about family therapy.

Family is like medicine

It has been proven that ADHD is a chronic disease that should never be ignored. Otherwise, in adulthood, there are signs of ADHD-affective behavior (increased sensitivity, stubbornness, negativism, isolation, emotional instability), infantilism.

Necessary observation by a neurologist, psychologist and appointment drug therapy. But still, the main correction of behavioral disorders occurs in the family - this is the active, painstaking and patient work of the parents themselves.

To relieve nervous and muscular tension, you must:

Create a system. Since the main problem is attention, systematization becomes the principle of life. Teach your child to bring everything around him into a system. guidance external order promotes inner concentration. All kinds of plans, schedules in a prominent and accessible place are well suited for this. Make a daily routine with your child, a lesson plan, a diagram-instruction "How to dress for a walk", etc.

Divide into parts. Since the child’s ability to concentrate is not enough for a large task, it is necessary to break it down into small stages. The passage of each of them will be associated in the child with success, and not with the fear of "I can't."

Many many times. For the child to remember something, repeat it with him several times. Try to use both vision, hearing, and motor skills when assimilating the necessary information: draw, memorize a poem, draw diagrams and graphs, come up with a pantomime for the memorized text.

Tension and relaxation. Be sure to alternate tasks with periods of rest. Let the child move, do exercises, let him just run. This will help to throw out the accumulated excitement.

Praise is a reward. No matter how difficult it is for a hyperactive child, look for an excuse to encourage him. He really needs your positive reaction. Such support will help him cope with any tasks.

Solve many neurological problems physiotherapeutic methods of influence help. About how to apply the method of dynamic electrical nerve stimulation (DENS), tells DENS - therapist, candidate medical sciences, chief physician medical center"Clinic of Life" (Perm) Vitaly Evgenievich Bobrikov:

Hyperactivity caused by minimal brain dysfunction, it is possible and necessary to treat DENS. Dynamic electrical nerve stimulation in this case improves the functioning of the brain and normalizes the functions of the nervous system.

For 10 days, every evening before going to bed, the mother treats the cervical-collar zone of the child with the DiaDENS-PKM device in the “7710” mode at a minimum exposure power. Next - a break for 10 days. Then again a 10-day course of physiotherapy (you can continue to stimulate the cervical-collar zone, or you can switch to the zone between the shoulder blades and alternate them). In this mode - 10 days of therapy, 10 days of rest - you need to take several courses.

It is also possible to cover the child with a DENAS-OLM blanket before going to bed for a minute, every day, for 21 days. It is this therapeutic effect that helps relieve nervous and muscle tension in hyperactive children. And the child will fall asleep, and the mother will rest.

How to relieve stress in a child

How to recognize childhood stress?

The state of stress is natural reaction body, accompanied by nervous emotional tension from the first days of a child's life. MirSovetov will help you understand the reasons for its appearance, the first signals and how to cope when such a situation occurs.

Symptoms associated with stress:

1. Irritability.
2. Muscular tension.
3. Low activity of the child.
4. Back pain, stomach pain or migraine.
5. Violation or excessive increase in appetite.
6. Changing the state of operation Bladder and intestines.
7. Sleep disorders.
8. Tearfulness.
9. Detachment.
10. Fast fatiguability.
11. Poor concentration and memory.
12. Weight loss or gain.

You can determine the onset of a stressful state in a child by abrupt changes in his behavioral factor as it becomes "unmanageable" and "unrecognizable". A sure sign of depression is a frequent and unreasonable change from one nervous state to another, as well as various psychosomatic disorders - severe fatigue, nausea, general weakness, vomiting, etc.

Symptoms may vary depending on the age of the child and the conditions of his social environment. Manifestations of stress will also depend on these factors. For example, babies and toddlers under the age of 6-7 years will have completely different reasons for emotional depression, so it is very important that parents know how to subtly feel the mood of their child and listen to his demands, questions and conversations.

Often children's stress may be dictated by the fact that he sees his parents in the same state and seems to be “infected” by them. In addition, this condition often develops from banal fears that adults are used to ignoring. In this case, the child will be aggressive, intimidated, show uncontrollable outbursts of anger, tearfulness, and even stuttering may appear.

At an early age with stressful condition the baby shows signs of behavioral regression, i.e. return to early stages development. So, the child may again ask for a pacifier, suck his thumb, or begin to wet the bed. The appearance of such signals is a sure sign of emotional depression.

Symptoms of stress in adolescents are almost the same as those of adults, with the exception of maximizing experiences and exaggerating the situation. deep anxiety, obsessions, inappropriate actions and absent-mindedness - alarm signals to which parents need to pay attention in the first place.

How can you get a child to contact and frank recognition of their condition? A very small percentage of children are willing to talk about their experiences, especially when it comes to stress. Often, kids themselves do not understand what is happening to them and do not express their experiences in words.

Therefore, parents need to listen to their child's conversations with toys, and even better, find out questions of interest in the game. Ask him to draw the world around him, his family and friends. Listen when the child complains about the appearance of "barrels" in the closet or a "hairy arm" under the bed. Remember: even the most insignificant trifle without an explanation by adults of its essence becomes a huge fear in the colorful and extensive fantasy of the child.

Causes of stress in children

1. Children from 0 to 2 years: prolonged separation from mother, illness, changes in daily routine, parental stress. Babies experience depression through increased irritability, unexpected disruption of sleep patterns, refusal to eat.
2. Toddlers from 2 to 5 years: separation from parents, as well as a change of scenery, the appearance of an unfamiliar environment. At this age, stress can manifest itself in behavioral changes, the appearance of excessive fears, behavioral regression, stuttering, nervous movements, bad mood, hyperactivity and the appearance of tears, as a reaction to everything new.
3. Children from 5 to 7 years old: change of environment, admission to kindergarten, poor perception in the social group of peers, quarrels of parents. At this age, stress can be seen in the appearance of unexplained pains and disorders, increased health concerns, refusal to attend kindergarten or walks. And also the child tries too hard to be good, fears, low self-esteem, sleep and nutrition disorders appear.

Teenage Issues

Stress in adolescents deserves special consideration. This category of children is most susceptible to emotional stress and experiences them too vividly. So, the reasons for the appearance of a stressful state in a teenager can be:

1. The birth of a new child in the family. Since the focus is younger brother or sister, the child feels unwanted or unloved. A fragile psyche draws terrible pictures, and uncontrolled jealousy can lead to adverse consequences.
2. Moving or changing environment. This factor slows down the pace of a teenager’s life and he has to re-experience adaptation, the formation of his reputation in the team, etc.
3. Divorce or quarrels of parents. It leaves its mark on mental health child, breaking his concepts and foundations.
4. Negative information streaming from the Internet or television.
5. Death of a close pet or relative.

How can you help your child overcome stress?

The help of an adult and parents in overcoming stress in a child is a top priority, which can prevent many negative consequences and return the baby to healthy life. There are 2 ways to apply here: eliminate stress and help develop favorable strategies for dealing with emotional depression.

Actions to eliminate stress:

1. Find out about your child's experiences and feelings.
2. Create an atmosphere of openness and trust, reassure him that any experience is positive.
3. Appreciate your child in any actions and situations.
4. Show openly your care, love and warmth. Hug your child as often as possible.
5. Separate actions into those that can be done and those that are not worth doing, but do not be overly strict.
6. Emphasize the importance of collaborating rather than competing.
7. Find activities that your child can help the family with.
8. Consider his desires, and not just your needs and abilities.

It is very important that parents help their child develop positive coping skills, as it will be useful to him at any age. You can help in the following ways:

1. Children will follow the example of their parents, not their advice. Therefore, give your kids prudent role models - stay calm in a difficult situation, control aggression and anger.
2. Develop rational thinking. Reassure the child that he should worry about the consequences of his actions, distinguish between fantasy and reality. Often children think that parents are getting divorced because he did not win a medal in competitions. convince him of the right reasons deed.
3. Control the baby, but in moderation. Let him make decisions within the family.
4. Be open and frank with him. Discuss how your day at work and your child at school went, encourage his openness.
5. get busy physical activity. Encourage the interests of the child and, if possible, master his hobby with him.
6. Proper nutrition strengthens the nervous system.
7. Learn relaxation techniques and spend more time together.

Ways to calm and relieve stress in a child

Children often face stressful situations, and traditional methods such as deep breathing, do not always help to cope with it. When a child needs a quick release of stress, try one of the following suggestions.

1. Turn the baby upside down. Many centuries ago, yogis discovered that the position of the body, in which the head is below the level of the heart, has a calming effect on the body. To relax, the child needs to bend over, reaching for his toes with his palms, or stand on his head. The inverted body position strengthens the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for the stress response of the body.

2. Try visualization. Research shows that visualization reduces stress levels. Invite your child to close their eyes and imagine a quiet, peaceful place. Then help him visualize the picture in detail. Ask what this place looks like, what smells there, what the child feels while being there.

3. Offer your child water. Dehydration leads to a decrease in mental productivity. Let your child drink a glass of cold water and sit for a while. Drink a glass of water yourself, and you will notice how this procedure calms the nervous system.

4. Sing something. Everyone knows that favorite songs cheer up. In addition, loud singing (even if you are a little out of tune) contributes to the production of “hormones of happiness” - endorphins.

5. Get into Downward Dog Pose. The pose, known in yoga as the "Down-Facing Dog", as well as the inverted position of the body, restores the autonomic nervous system. It also stretches the muscles of the arms, legs, and torso, which leads to the burning of glucose levels produced as a result of the body's reactions to stress.

6. Draw. Drawing not only helps to distract from the source of stress, but also develops stress resistance. If even the thought of a child drawing with paint scares you, let the child draw, for example, with shaving cream on the curtain in the shower. The curtain will be easy to wash, and the child will not smear everything around.

7. Jump rope. Set a timer for two minutes, turn on the music, and let your child jump rope to the beat of the music. If it is difficult for a child to jump rope, he can simply bounce in place.

8. Jump high. Arrange a competition with your child who will jump higher, further or faster. This is another simple yet powerful way to blow off some steam through physical activity.

9. Blow bubbles. Blowing on a turntable or blowing soap bubbles - such activities will help the child control breathing and, at the same time, normalize the state of the psyche. In addition, the child will surely enjoy running after bursting bubbles.

10. Take a hot bath. After a hard day at work, there is nothing more pleasant than to lie in a hot bath in complete silence and with subdued lights. This procedure will also help the child to calm down, relax and be distracted from all activities. Let him take his favorite toy into the bathroom with him and rest for as long as he needs.

11. Take a cold shower. Although this method is completely opposite to the previous one, it also strengthens the body. A cold or even cool shower helps relieve muscle tension, improves blood flow to the heart, and noticeably improves mood. A study in which hardening practitioners took part showed that regular bathing in cold water reduces tension, fatigue, depression and negative emotions. For very young children, swimming in cold water is undesirable. It is better to gradually reduce the temperature of the water or try a contrast shower.

12. Drink warm drinks. Warm drinks on a cool day give the body a feeling of warmth. It's like a hug from the inside. A cup of hot chocolate or warm milk will help the baby quickly come into a state of harmony.

13. Blow out the candles. Light a candle and have your child blow it out. Then light it again, but at the same time move it slightly away from the child. Each time the child will need to breathe deeper and deeper to blow out the candle. So in a playful way you can teach your child deep breathing.

14. Watch aquarium fish. Have you ever wondered why hospitals often have aquariums? According to studies, watching aquarium fish lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Moreover, the larger the aquarium, the more effective its action. When you need to soothe your child, take him to a local pond or aquarium for a little "fish therapy."

15. Count from 100 to 1. Counting backwards not only allows the child to take his mind off what is bothering him. It also develops concentration and is useful for preschoolers as preparation for school.

16. Chant mantras. Come up with a mantra that the child can use to calm them down. Phrases such as “I am calm” or “I am confident” will work well.

17. Breathe in your belly. Most of us breathe incorrectly, especially in stressful situations. Invite the child to imagine that his stomach is a balloon. The child must breathe deeply to fill the balloon with air. Repeat this simple exercise five times and you will see that the child will become much calmer.

18. Go for a run. Running reduces stress more effectively than a visit to a psychologist. A ten-minute light jog will not only improve your child's mood, but will also allow you to cope with stress for several hours.

19. Count to five. When your child feels like he can't control his emotions, invite him to close his eyes and count to five. This kind of five-second meditation will allow the brain to “reboot” and look at the situation from a different perspective. It also teaches the child to think carefully before performing any action in a stressful situation.

20. Speak out. Children who are able to freely talk about their feelings and what is bothering them learn early to understand the situations that are happening and their own attitude towards them. Parents should not immediately advise the child how to solve the problem. First, listen to the child and ask him leading questions to help clarify the situation.

21. Write a letter to yourself. We will never be as critical of our friend as we are of ourselves. The same thing happens in children. Teach them to be kind to themselves, and in difficult situations, ask what they would say to their best friend in such a situation.

22. Decorate the wall. We are not talking about paints and decorations, you can just hang a poster or a picture from a magazine on the wall. This will help the child to show their creativity. In this case, the creative process itself is important, not the result.

23. Make a visualization board. Have your child cut out phrases and pictures from magazines that illustrate their interests and dreams. Stick them on a special board on the wall. Such an activity will help the child not only figure out what he wants from life, but also allow him to be distracted from the source of stress in difficult moments, focusing his attention on what he is really interested in.

24. Hug your child or let him hug you. Hugging promotes the production of oxytocin, a hormone that ensures the functioning of the body's immune systems. A 20-second hug reduces blood pressure, improves well-being and reduces the stress response of the body. Hugs will benefit both you and your baby.

25. Walk in nature. According to research, a 50-minute walk in nature improves thought processes and reduces stress levels. If you don’t have that much free time, then even a 15-minute walk in the fresh air will help your child cope with stress.

26. Imagine yourself in a few years. This is a great way to motivate your child to set goals for the future and strive towards them. Have him write down how he wants to see himself in a week, a month, a year or more.

27. Blow on the pinwheel. As with candles, this exercise trains the child's breathing, but here the emphasis is on a controlled exhalation, rather than a deep breath. The child must make the spinner spin slowly, then quickly, then slowly again. So he learns to regulate his breathing.

28. Sculpt from plasticine. During sculpting, areas of the brain responsible for stress responses become inactive as impulses activate other areas of the brain. You can buy plasticine in the store or make it yourself.

29. Work with clay. A similar effect is observed when working with clay. Let your child sculpt something out of clay or make a cup with a potter's wheel. This is also a great opportunity for a child to learn something interesting and form a new practical skill.

30. Write. In older children, keeping a diary or simply writing down their feelings on paper has a positive effect on mood, especially if they are sure that no one reads these entries. Give your child a notebook and let him describe his feelings. Reassure your child that no one will read his notes until he asks for it. Constant journaling has a positive effect on the memory, concentration and thinking of the child.

31. Give thanks. In addition to describing feelings, invite the child to write down who and for what he is grateful. It helps improve school performance and reduce stress levels. To do this, you can start a separate "notebook of gratitude."

32. Name your emotions. The inability to recognize negative emotions often causes stress in children. If the child is angry, panicking, or suffering from perfectionism, ask him to name this feeling, give it a name. Then help your child deal with negativity. For example, ask your child: “Are you worried about being perfect again?” In this playful way, you can discuss how to overcome perfectionism, and the child will not be left alone with his feeling.

33. Swing. Swinging not only strengthens the muscles of the legs and torso, but also reduces stress levels (this is the effect of rocking movements). Give your child a ride on a swing or they can ride on their own to calm their emotions.

34. Push the wall. This is a good way to get rid of stress hormones without leaving the room. The child must push the wall for 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise three times. The alternation of muscle effort and relaxation leads to the production of “happiness hormones”.

35. Wrinkle thin paper. Crumpled paper is one of the favorite activities of young children. They are soothed not only by the rustle of paper, but also by its texture. Sensory impulses activate certain areas of the brain that reduce stress levels.

36. Pop the bubbles on the package. Buy some of this material and cut into small pieces to soothe the child in times of stress.

37. Roll a tennis ball across your back. This procedure acts as a light soothing massage. Do it when your baby needs soothing touches. Massage the shoulders, neck and lower back - these areas are most tense at the time of stress.

38. Massage your feet with a small ball. It helps improve circulation and works on specific points on the feet to help relieve stress and tension in the leg muscles. The child can roll the ball over the entire surface of the foot, stepping on it with different strengths.

39. Identify a "quiet place" in the house. The child should have a certain place in the house where he can come to his senses in moments of loss of control over emotions. In this place, the child should feel as comfortable as possible in order to be able to have a good rest and restore peace of mind.

40. Listen to music. Music improves mood, promotes healthy sleep, reduces stress and anxiety. Listen to music of various styles, set the optimal volume level in the house, car and child's bedroom.

41. Throw a dance party. Physical activity combined with the pleasure of music will benefit the child. He will enjoy such activity combined with entertainment. If the child is in a bad mood, turn up the music and have a dance party in the room. The mood of the child will instantly rise.

42. Shout. Sometimes a child's bad mood is due to the fact that he is overwhelmed with too many emotions. Let the child assume a free position and imagine how emotions flow through his body from his toes to his mouth. To release them, the child needs to scream loudly.

43. Change the environment. When we experience strong negative emotions, sometimes we just need to get out of the house. A change of scenery will help the baby quickly calm down. If you are at home, go for a walk. Find a quiet place outside to sit down. Change the environment and this will help the child quickly regain composure.

44. Go for a walk. We often go for walks in order to put things in order in our thoughts. Not only fresh air has a calming effect on us, but also the natural rhythms of nature. Go for a walk with your child, and perhaps he will share with you the reasons for his bad mood.

45. Plan a fun activity. When you are worried about something, it seems that walls are pressing against you and the world is about to collapse. Some children need help looking to the future to distract them from their internal dialogue. Plan some fun activities for the whole family, let the child participate in its discussion. Any topic related to the future will be useful to him.

46. ​​Bake bread. All grandmothers in the world know that the process of baking bread helps to get rid of stress. You can find many easy bread recipes on the internet. The child can independently mix the ingredients and knead the dough. He will definitely like the result of your collaboration.

47. Weave a bracelet. Working with hands causes a state of complete absorption in the occupation. Activities such as knitting, embroidery, or any other activity that helps the baby to forget about external circumstances have a similar effect.

48. Ride a bike. Cycling is slowly losing popularity among children. But cycling is not only good for the joints, it also improves balance and physical endurance. You can organize cycling trips for the whole family.

49. Color in coloring books. Coloring pages are a great way to entertain and calm a child, develop fine motor skills and concentration. Buy your child crayons and felt-tip pens and color the pages of coloring books with him.

These seemingly simple ways will help not only improve the psycho-emotional state of a child of any age, but also teach him to better understand and cope with negative emotions. These skills will serve him well throughout his life.

Stress in a child: how to relieve stress with the help of games?

No matter how small and carefree a child may seem, there are already difficulties and losses in his life: his favorite toy broke, he moved to new apartment, went to kindergarten ... An adult does not pay attention to many things, it is easier to adapt to changes, but the baby has not yet developed ways to protect himself. We will tell you how to help your child get rid of stress at home.

Maria Konovalova

Stress is a natural physiological response to a condition. overvoltage arising from the first days of a person's life. Children experience stress just as much as adults. It is a reaction to something new. nervous overload can cause the first steps, and the grandmother who came to visit, and the quarrel of the parents. With an adequate reaction, stress can be useful for a child: it helps to mobilize one's strength, to cope with the situation, but excessive stress is exhausting.

It is impossible to completely protect the baby from all difficulties, so the task of parents is to teach him to respond correctly to troubles or important events.

Stress in a child: the first bells

Moms and dads should learn to notice the signals of nervous tension in a child themselves. The main manifestation of the state of stress in children is a change in their behavior.

excess nervous tension in children often manifests itself through regression to characteristics younger: they begin to suck their fingers, wet their pants, ask for hands, etc. Older children may become withdrawn, too obedient. A sign of stress in a child is also the appearance of neurotic phenomena (tics, stuttering in speech, enuresis, gnashing of teeth, biting nails, obsessive movements, etc.), poor or excessive appetite and increased fatigue.

Having noticed such signals in their child, the first thing parents should do is try to reduce his load, no matter how useful they may seem. The task of adults is to choose an individual method for getting rid of overvoltage for the baby. We will talk about psycho-gymnastics and logarithmics.

Stress in a child: psycho-gymnastics will help

The method of psycho-gymnastics originates from the psychotherapeutic technique for adults, "psychodrama", and is based on the performance of different roles in the studies by the participants. With the help of the movements that psycho-gymnastics uses as a means of communication, the baby is able to better understand and express himself, to realize his actions and emotions. Psycho-gymnastics teaches a child not only to express his own feelings, but also to communicate with peers, to better understand others.

You can invite your child to play the following games:

Introduction to emotions. Often, a state of stress is accompanied by a “freezing” of some emotion in the body, for example, everything seems to be fine, and the child has a sad mask on his face, but he himself does not notice it. Therefore, your task is to help the child learn to express different emotions. The smallest can develop facial activity with a massage: rub your cheeks, raise and lower your eyebrows, open your mouth, stretch your lips in a smile, accompanying your actions with sentences: “And the green frog pulls its lips right to the ears.” For older children, you can prepare cards depicting emotions, and conduct a series of studies on each of them. For example, for the emotion of disgust, show the pantomime "Salty Tea" (wrinkled nose, lowered corners of the mouth), and for joy - the scene "Playing Puppy" (the child laughs, jumps, spins). Here it is important to turn on your imagination and participate in the game together with the child, drawing his attention to the mimic and motor expressions of this or that feeling. These activities will help the baby to release his inner feelings.

Theatricalization with behavior modeling. Such games are aimed at responding to an alarming situation, relieving emotional stress from a problem, finding and fixing the best way to respond. If the kid is having a hard time adapting to kindergarten, play with him the sketch “Petya goes to kindergarten”, where the child will be able to take on the role of not only Petya, but also mother, educator. Do not forget that one topic should be played several times, do not impose the “necessary” behavior on the child, be patient. When the situation ceases to carry a strong emotional stress you will notice changes in the child's behavior.

Psychomuscular training. Special exercises for relaxation and muscle tension help relieve psycho-emotional stress, restore the child's strength. Fun games are quite suitable for crumbs: “Bunny jumps” (a series of jumps - rest), “Teddy bear with bumps” (catch a “bump”, squeeze tightly in fists, relax hands and arms). With preschool children, exercises can be carried out, moving from one muscle group to another: arms, legs, torso, neck and face. For example, let the child imagine and show that he is lifting a heavy barbell, and then drops it to the floor (hands fall along the body, relaxed). For the body, the exercise “Cold and hot” is suitable (the sun has set - shrink into a ball, tremble, it came out - warm up, sunbathe).

Stress in a child: doing logarithmics with mom

Logorhythm is a system of gaming exercises based on the relationship of music, movement and speech. Exercises effectively fight neurotic manifestations of stress in children (tics, speech disorders) and psycho-emotional (it calms excitable kids, and spurs slow ones).

All logarithmic exercises are based on imitation: you show, and the baby repeats. They require repeated repetition and musical accompaniment. However, the effect of classes should not be expected too quickly, logarithmics take time.

You can start classes almost from the cradle, reading nursery rhymes and rhymes and clapping the rhythm with your hands. To get started, help the baby raise and lower the arms, clap your hands to the beat of the music. With a child older than two years, you can perform exercises to develop a sense of rhythm and pace, breathing and voice. These games will help you:

"It's raining." After listening to the sounds of rain, the baby slaps the rhythm and tempo of large drops (slowly) and small drops (quickly) on his knees, pronouncing "drip-drip" in accordance with the claps.

"Strong wind". After taking a deep breath through the nose, the child draws a long and loud noise"u-u-u". Performing dance movements in accordance with the text of the rhyme / song will help the baby relax and relieve muscle tension.

"Wind and Tree" “The wind doesn’t stop, the tree shakes strongly” (the baby’s arms and body sway to the sides), “the breeze is quieter and quieter” (hands move more slowly, calmer), “the tree is higher and higher” (the child stands on tiptoe, stretches up ). Rhythmic, clear exercises for the whole body, musical games with speech accompaniment (round dances, rhymes, songs) harmonize the child's condition, increase his self-confidence and stress resistance.

A child cannot always explain what is happening to him, but he, like an adult, experiences the consequences of stress. However, parents can help the baby calm down and feel better on their own.

Relieving nervous tension in a child, or Stress Games!

Nervous tension in children, as in adults, must be removed in time so that it does not disturb the physical and mental condition. As you know, the main activity of children is the game. Through the game, you can not only develop, but also be treated.

We bring to your attention relaxing games to relieve stress, which are suitable for children from the age of two. Please note that exercises designed for younger children can also be performed by older children.

When a child needs to imagine himself somewhere or someone, help his imagination, describe the picture that he can see in the proposed situation, and the sensations that he can experience.

From 2 years old

Prepare light items in advance - paper balls, small Stuffed Toys, small plastic cubes, etc. And throw them at each other. This fun game should end with a truce, that is, hugs.

Explain to your child that when cats are angry, they hiss, arch their backs, scratch and bite. And good cats purr and rub against the legs of their owners. Depict, together with the child, either evil or good cats. Just bite and scratch for fun.

Show your child a disgruntled, angry face - wrinkle your forehead and nose, pout your lips, look askance. Ask the baby to repeat your grimace (it is advisable to do this while inhaling). And as you exhale, let him relax the muscles of the face.

Imagine that a butterfly is flying around the room, and try to catch it by making grasping movements with one hand, then the other, and then both. The child should repeat your movements. When the butterfly is "caught", slowly open your fists and look at it.

From 3 years old

The child is a balloon. Imagine that you are inflating a balloon, and at this time the child spreads his arms to the sides, spreads his legs wide, puffs out his cheeks and tummy. But then you stop blowing, and the balloon deflates - the arms fall, the head leans forward, the legs bend, and the child gradually lies on his back in a relaxed position, spreading his arms and legs and closing his eyes.

Put a toy bunny (mouse, squirrel, fish or other defenseless animal) in the middle of the room. The child in this game is a wolf (a fox, a tiger, a bear or another predator that he is not afraid of). The predator sits in ambush and slowly, carefully and silently approaches its “prey”.

A less "gory" variant of this game is catching butterflies, which must be approached just as carefully.

The child needs to imagine that he is ice cream. He was just taken out of the freezer - he is hard, cold, his arms and body are tense. But then the sun begins to warm, and the ice cream melts - it gradually becomes soft, the arms and legs of the child relax.

Ask your child to imagine being cold. Let him wrap his arms around himself, bend over. Now throw a scarf around his neck. Let the child turn his head from side to side. His neck, he's warm, he can relax.

From 4 years old

The child lies on his back and relaxes. He is the sea, calm, quiet. Place a paper boat on your baby's tummy. When the child breathes, the boat rises and falls as if on waves. If the child manages to concentrate his eyes on the boat, he will calm his breathing and calm himself.

The child needs to imagine that he is sitting in an open meadow and suddenly a cold wind is blowing. The baby becomes cold, he presses his knees to his chin, wraps his arms around them, trying to keep warm. The wind subsides, and the warm, gentle sun warms the child with its rays - he relaxed, raised his face to the sun. Suddenly - a new gust of wind ... (Actions must be repeated several times).

Invite the child to rest, sleep (pretend, of course) - let him squat down, close his eyes and sit in this position for a few seconds. It's time to wake up: the baby slowly gets up, raises his arms and reaches for the ceiling, stands on his toes and looks up. After a good stretch, you can stand a little, putting your hands down and smiling at each other.

The hands of the child are the hands of the clock. “Start” the watch - they will say “tic-tac” and turn the arrows (take turns waving their straight arms back and forth). The factory is over, and the watch is resting. (Repeat the game several times).

There is porridge on the stove and boils. Show your child how the porridge boils, and let him repeat after you. One hand lies on the stomach, the other - on the chest. A deep breath is taken, in which the stomach is pulled inward. As you exhale, say: “F-f-f,” and stick out your stomach with each uttered sound.

From 6 years old

For this game you will need big leaf wallpaper, a couple of wax crayons, pencils or felt-tip pens (you can use multi-colored ones), calm music.

Lay the child so that the hands from the hands to the shoulders lie on the wallpaper. Give him pencils. Let the child close his eyes, and when the music starts, move his hands, drawing to the beat of the melody. After 2-3 minutes, turn off the music and look at the resulting drawings together.

The child needs to imagine that right hand he pinched a lemon and squeezes the juice out of it. The palm is clenched into a fist as tightly as possible. And then it relaxes. Repeat the same with your left hand.

"Catch" an imaginary butterfly with your child. She is cold, she can be warmed by breathing. Blow on your open palms, and let the child blow on his. After a minute, the butterfly warmed up, and now you need to let it go - blow the butterfly off your palms.

Antiloh.info

How to relieve psycho-emotional stress in a child (personal opinion of a professional mother)

The birth of a child is truly a miracle. And most of us, dear adults, have this happy opportunity - to bring up this little miracle. And so I want the child to grow up healthy and happy! Of course, sometimes we are overcome by many fears and different kind anxiety - how will the baby cope with all the problems that may come his way? Will he succeed?

I remember that a lot of fears arose as soon as I arrived home from the hospital ... I woke up at night, listened to the baby's breathing; ran up to the bed, carefully looked out to see if everything was in order. When the baby went to kindergarten, I began to worry about something else: how will he establish communication with the children? is he having a good time? Maybe it was necessary to leave the house at all before school (give it later / earlier to kindergarten)?

At some point, I realized that my fears were in vain and, most likely, were just my anxiety. Children are much wiser than we think of them. I then understood: the main thing is that the child feels the love of his parents. In such a relationship, the child (regardless of age) understands that he is accepted and loved for who he is. (you can clean the room without any - let's go for a walk to the zoo or I'll hug you ....)

A healthy preschooler cannot be calm, quiet, sitting in one place and carefully examining the paintings of Picasso or where his mother planted (remember the song about the monkeys from the cartoon? - this is just about cute kids of this age). The kid constantly needs information, the whole range of emotions rages in him from joy to anger. But the task of an adult is to help his sweet treasure learn to regulate these emotions, satisfy the need for knowledge, but at the same time not overloading the baby.

It happens that we are very indignant (too active) and frankly capricious. It happens that we are shy in front of someone (become closed), and sometimes we want to cry (or show aggressiveness). These are all signs of psycho-emotional stress. And if an adult is still somehow able to cope with emotions, then a child cannot always solve such a problem. And first of all, you need to learn to calm down ...

I offer exercises for children from 4 years old. Exercises should be performed in those cases when you notice signs of emotional overstrain in the child's behavior.

Since the game is the main activity of a preschooler, then the exercises to relieve stress, of course, are carried out in a playful way.

Exercise "I am strong and mighty"

Walking with the baby in the park, pay attention to a large tree (an oak, for example). Say, “Look how big, mighty, and strong this tree is! If the wind blows, only the top of the tree sways, but the tree itself can stand. You know, a person can also sometimes be just as strong and powerful ... If you suddenly want to hit someone or say a rude word, break something - imagine that YOU ARE THE SAME POWERFUL AND STRONG TREE!

Play with your child: alternately imagine yourself as a mighty tree. Ask how does the baby feel? What do you think it means to be strong and powerful? What does it mean to remain calm in difficult situations?

Exercise "Pull yourself together"

Tell your child that you know how a seasoned person behaves. Then explain: “Whenever you feel worried, nervous, or you feel like being rude or hitting someone: wrap your hands around your elbows and pull your arms tightly to your chest.”

Exercise "Day of disgrace or it is allowed to get dirty"

Attention. Parents are encouraged to mentally prepare for this exercise. It’s hard to decide on this exercise and it’s hard to keep calm ...))) But you will have a lot of fun. And also prepare finger paints, old lipsticks, tubes of creams and toothpaste. Spread an oilcloth on the floor, dress the child (and yourself) in those clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

Do the exercise in good mood! It is allowed to draw with lipstick and paint on the legs and arms, backs and tummies. You can dip the handles and heels into the paint. Outline the noses and cheeks. Adults are allowed!

Do not forget to wash yourself after this fun exercise (it is better, of course, to perform such exercises in the country, near the pool or lake).

And I want to end with a poem that I really liked, the author is unfortunately unknown to me.

How to help your child quickly relieve nervous tension and excitement

3 easy exercises your kids will love.

You will need:

• A4 sheet of paper
• Colored markers (thick or medium)
• Colour pencils

This exercise is great to relieve tension and calm the child if he is overexcited. Yes, and it will be useful for an adult to meditate with a pencil in his hands after a busy day.

This activity does not require prior preparation. In any house where children grow up, there are felt-tip pens and pencils, and paper can be borrowed from dad.

Preparing for the lesson: the main thing is the mood.

First make gentle flicking motions with your dominant hand and shoulder. These actions will help relieve muscle tension and focus on the feeling of your own hand.

1. Without taking your hands off

Let the child choose the color of the felt-tip pen (pencil). Show him how to put the pencil on the paper correctly, and offer to start moving in any direction. The hand moves smoothly without breaking away from the paper.

At the same time, it is very important to focus on what mark the pencil leaves on the paper and observe its movement. Help the child to tune in and relax so that there are no clamps in the hand, make sure that he breathes calmly and rhythmically.

2. Blind contour

Blind contour is drawing with your eyes closed. You can turn away so as not to look at the sheet, or blindfold.

The exercise always causes a storm of delight - it's so amazing and unexpected what happens if you don't see the picture. It seems that the hand itself performs it, but in fact at this moment the brain and its analytical function are working with might and main, and body coordination is developing. The internal critic and secondary distractions are turned off, for example, looking at the picture “What am I doing?”, “What does it look like?”.

Start with simple exercise- Try to draw a circle. Laugh together at what happened. You can change places with your child, take turns drawing. Let him watch you do it. Please note that each time the movements will become more confident.

Try to repeat this exercise from time to time. You will see for yourself how wonderfully it trains intuition.

3. Coordinate system

Now let's make it harder!

Option 1:

We take a new sheet of paper. On it we will draw several circles without looking at once so that they do not go beyond the edges of the sheet. Now the task for the brain and the coordination system has become even more interesting: you need to feel both the shape of the circles and the space allowed for drawing.

If you wish, you can repeat the exercise or draw circles different colors. Just don't peek until you're done drawing 🙂

Option 2:

On a new sheet of paper, we will again draw a circle. But this time it should be as large as possible, at the same time, fit on a piece of paper. Concentrate well, turn on all non-visual orientation systems and create!

At the very end of the lesson, you can take one of the options with several circles and paint over them. Let the child choose the colors of the pencils, focusing on intuition.

Intersection areas also need to be painted over.

If the child wanted to mix colors, overlap one color with another - great. The work should turn out to be joyful and inspiring, like a fireworks display.

Even more art therapy techniques for children and other interesting creative exercises are combined in the Art-Exercise course from the Artium School and on the Instagram account @artiumonline.

Stress in a child: what to do for parents

Childhood seems to be the most carefree time without worries and worries, full of joyful events. However, children may experience nervous strain on the background physiological changes in the body or unusual external conditions. Pediatrician Lusine Khachatryan talks about the causes of stress in children and how to deal with them.

Lusine Khachatryan, pediatrician, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Children's Diseases, Moscow State Medical University. M.I. Sechenov.

early childhood

Even at an early age, a child can experience stress. It can be associated with illness, separation from the mother (even short-term), cutting teeth, first visits to doctors (and in general meetings with strangers and unusual people for the child, especially those who touch him), going to kindergarten, change in climate or time zone.

Symptoms:

hyperactivity (a consequence of increased excitability), atypical sleep disturbance, problems with appetite (up to a complete refusal to eat), causeless tearfulness, frequent (obsessive) facial movements, tics, fussiness or even aggression.

What should parents do

• Keep track of your sleep and wake patterns. The younger the child, the more prolonged rest he needs (not only at night, but also during the day).
• If the child has a restless sleep, then they are suitable breathing exercises and quiet games. Help and creative pursuits: drawing, modeling from plasticine. Parents should also make sure that the TV is not turned on too often.
• Keeping your child safe is one of the basic needs at an early age. Keep physical contact, hold the hand, hug the child, because the child must feel that you are near.
• For future changes, for example, to attend a kindergarten, and even more so, a child's nursery group must be prepared in advance.
• If a child of 2-5 years old shows aggression in everyday situations - in relation to other family members or even toys - then he will benefit from age-appropriate hardening and water procedures that relieve stress. Often, pet therapy is also recommended, when animals help to cope with various problems.

Junior classes

Stress during this period is the body's reaction to a change in the usual course of things, which children cannot control on their own. The school radically changes the way of life to which the child has already become accustomed. The regime becomes more rigid, there are many duties, responsibility, unknown circumstances of the "new" life. School is the first friends and the first quarrels, worries about grades. Internal fears are formed, as the child more consciously and critically analyzes what is happening around.

Symptoms:

fatigue, memory impairment, mood swings, problems with concentration, difficulty falling asleep and interrupted sleep, the emergence of bad habits (the child begins to bite his nails, pens, bite his lips), isolation and isolation, stuttering, frequent headaches, causeless irritability.

What should parents do

• It is necessary to adapt to the school regime - go to bed and wake up at the same time. This is especially useful when fatigue and memory impairment.
• Shower at a comfortable temperature (avoid unnecessarily hot water) to improve sleep quality.
• Proper nutrition and additional reception children's vitamin complexes - the cause of excessive irritability is often a lack needed by the body substances.
• Spend more time together, including playing games. Games help children transfer their anxiety to play situations and relieve stress.
• Try to gently talk about what worries the child, and discuss possible problems refraining from evaluation.
• Regular physical exercise also help relieve mental stress and increase the child's resistance to stressful situations. Running, cycling, skiing, tennis, dancing, swimming - choose what your child likes best.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO "CURE STRESS" IN A CHILD?

The use of drugs is permissible only if the drugs are allowed for children and are suitable for the current activities of the child.

“Homeostres is suitable for the situations described above, since this drug with a complex of plant components is able to simultaneously eliminate both psycho-emotional and physical manifestations of stress,” notes Lusine Khachatryan, Doctor of Medical Sciences. - In addition, it normalizes sleep, giving the body the opportunity to restore its adaptive resources and "zero" all the negative emotions left over from the past day. And valerian-based preparations and various soothing teas are suitable only when the child does not perform tasks that require increased concentration attention."

Are children susceptible to burnout too?

It may seem to us that the problems of children are incomparable to ours. But the training loads and our demands wear them out too. How to prevent child burnout and what to do if you encounter it? Psychologist Beatrice Milletre says.

My baby is always crying!

Why is he screaming? It seems to be full, and dry, and healthy. Rather than deliberately harassing? Some parents intuitively know how to calm a child. Many are irritated, and then tormented by guilt. Child psychologist Irina Mlodik tells how to cope with emotions.

Skin diseases - messages of the soul

Jungian psychologist Ann Maguire talks about how our skin shows us a way out of conflict with our own inner world.

The Unusual Property of Running: How to Get Smarter in 40 Minutes

After a run, it clears up in my head, and the solution of many issues comes by itself. The secret is that nerve cells are restored, and this happens within minutes after the start of the run.

Birth a child is truly a miracle. And most of us, dear adults, have this happy opportunity - bring up it's a small miracle. And so I want the child to grow up healthy and happy! Of course, sometimes, we are overcome by a lot of fears and all sorts of anxieties - how will the baby cope with all the problems that may come his way? Will he succeed?

I remember that a lot of fears arose as soon as I arrived home from the hospital ... I woke up at night, listened to the baby's breathing; ran up to the bed, carefully looked out to see if everything was in order. When the baby went to kindergarten, I began to worry about something else: how will he establish communication with the children? is he having a good time? Maybe it was necessary to leave the house at all before school (give it later / earlier to kindergarten)?

At some point, I realized that my fears were in vain and, most likely, were just my anxiety. Children are much wiser than we think.. I then understood: the main thing is that the child feels the love of his parents. With such a relationship, the child (regardless of age) understands that he is accepted and loved for who he is !!!

A healthy preschooler cannot be calm, quiet, sitting in one place and carefully examining the paintings of Picasso or where mom planted (remember the song about the monkeys from the cartoon? - this is just about cute kids of this age). The kid constantly needs information, the whole range of emotions rages in him from joy to anger. But the task of an adult is to help his sweet treasure learn to regulate these emotions, satisfy the need for knowledge, but at the same time not overloading the baby.

It happens that we are very indignant (too active) and frankly capricious. It happens that we are shy in front of someone (become closed), and sometimes we want to cry (or show aggressiveness). These are all signs of psycho-emotional stress. And if an adult is still somehow able to cope with emotions, then a child cannot always solve such a problem. And first of all, you need learn to calm down…

I offer exercises for children from 4 years old. Exercises should be performed in those cases when you notice signs of emotional overstrain in the child's behavior.

Since the game is the main activity of a preschooler, then the exercises to relieve stress, of course, are carried out in a playful way.

An exercise "I am strong and powerful"

Walking with the baby in the park, pay attention to a large tree (an oak, for example). Say, “Look how big, mighty, and strong this tree is! If the wind blows, only the top of the tree sways, but the tree itself can stand. You know, a person can also sometimes be just as strong and powerful ... If you suddenly want to hit someone or say a rude word, break something - imagine that YOU ARE THE SAME POWERFUL AND STRONG TREE!

Play with your child: alternately imagine yourself as a mighty tree. Ask how does the baby feel? What do you think it means to be strong and powerful? What does it mean to remain calm in difficult situations?

An exercise "Pull myself together"

Tell your child that you know how a seasoned person behaves. Then explain: “Whenever you feel worried, nervous, or you feel like being rude or hitting someone: wrap your hands around your elbows and pull your arms tightly to your chest.”

An exercise "Day of disgrace or it is allowed to get dirty"

Attention!!! Parents are encouraged to mentally prepare for this exercise. It’s hard to decide on this exercise and it’s hard to keep calm ...))) But you will have a lot of fun!!! And also prepare finger paints, old lipsticks, tubes of creams and toothpaste. Spread an oilcloth on the floor, dress the child (and yourself) in those clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

Do the exercise in a good mood! It is allowed to draw with lipstick and paint on the legs and arms, backs and tummies. You can dip the handles and heels into the paint. Outline the noses and cheeks. Adults are allowed!

Do not forget to wash yourself after this fun exercise (it is better, of course, to perform such exercises in the country, near the pool or lake).

And I want to end with a poem that I really liked, the author is unfortunately unknown to me.

Take care of your children
Don't scold them for being stupid.
The evil of your bad days
Never rip on them.

Don't be really angry with them.
Even if they are guilty
Nothing is more precious than tears
That from the cilia of relatives rolled down.

If fatigue falls from the legs
There is no urine to cope with her,
Well, your son will come to you
Or the daughter will stretch out her hands.
Hug them tight.

Treasure children's affection
This happiness is a short moment
Hurry up to be happy.
After all, they will melt like snow in the spring,
These golden days will fly by
And leave the hearth of the native
Your grown up children.

The content of the article:

Stress in a child is an adaptive reaction of the body, or rather the central nervous system, to various stimuli(physical, emotional, mental). AT childhood this phenomenon is very common. It can have negative consequences. Therefore, it is important to recognize it in time and seek help from specialists.

Symptoms of stress in children

The human body reacts to external stimuli since birth. Stress can be short term or long term. In the first case, the body as a whole benefits. However, in the second, on the contrary, harm is almost inevitable.

Depending on age, the symptoms of stress in a child can be completely different:

• The manifestation of the reaction of the body in children under two years of age. Infants and babies express experienced stress by worsening sleep, appetite or a complete refusal to eat, excessive tearfulness and irritability.
• Stress in preschool children (two to five years old). It is expressed in a return to the previous age (regression): pacifier sucking, urinary incontinence, requests to be fed from a spoon, and others. Tearfulness may occur when circumstances change or new people appear. There is a decrease in overall activity or, conversely, the manifestation of signs of hyperactivity (do not forget that hyperactivity is an independent mental disorder). They note an unreasonable fever, vomiting. The very impressionable may begin to stutter (temporary or permanent). The child is naughty, his exactingness increases, frequent outbursts of anger appear at the refusal to fulfill the instructions of adults, unmotivated aggression, nervousness without visible reasons, frequent mood swings (in the worst side). There is also an excessive manifestation of children's fears (fear of the dark, loneliness, death), because of which the baby cannot fall asleep.
• Stress in a young student. In this period of development, rapid fatigue may appear, nightmares begin to torment. The child often complains of nausea, headaches, pain in the region of the heart, which may be accompanied by fever, causeless mouth. Parents note frequent cases of lies, age regression (begins to behave like younger children). Periodically, there is a desire to seek adventure, or, on the contrary, the student withdraws into himself, refuses to go for walks, avoids communication with peers, does not want to attend school. There is aggression towards other people, as well as low self-esteem, the desire to do everything so that the child is praised. An unreasonable feeling of fear, anxiety, deterioration of attention, memory, selective amnesia is possible (events that caused stress are forgotten). The child has constant sleepiness or insomnia, appetite may either worsen or, conversely, become excessively elevated. Parents are horrified to note speech defects, nervous tics, mood swings, and long-term (several days) defiant behavior.

With such an abundance of symptoms, recognize stress in a child ordinary person(parents, teachers, for example) is extremely difficult. Often, the signs are regarded as a manifestation of any diseases, lack of education, character traits of the baby himself. Accurate Diagnosis can only be put by a specialist based on the results of several interviews, psychological tests.

Causes of stress in children

The potential causes of stress in children are quite numerous:

1. Abrupt change in daily routine. For example, the baby is used to going to bed when he wants, and waking up quite late. And suddenly he needs to get up two or three hours earlier in order to come to kindergarten on time.
2. Change of environment. The same kindergarten or school is the new faces of adults who also command, the need to get along in a team and obey its laws, and so on.
3. Changing the familiar environment. Change of residence of the whole family and moving to a new, unfamiliar apartment, while the child was very comfortable in the old place.
4. Parting. Parting for a long or even short term with family and friends, friends.
5. Loss or death pet . Some children react acutely even to death. aquarium fish or houseplant.
6. Impact of media and computer technology. Watching TV shows, movies, Internet content that is not intended for a specific age (scenes of violence, murders, even scenes of an erotic and sexual nature). Information can be misinterpreted and perceived as something bad. The situation can be aggravated by a sharp shout or other backlash adults whom the child "caught" during intimate communication or watching an erotic video. This also includes listening to news about events in the country and in the world (about wars, natural disasters, accidents). Too much passion for computer games, especially those that are more or less associated with aggression and violence.
7. Human influence. Quite often, the stressful state of adults can be transmitted to children. Mothers, even in the womb, can observe the change in the behavior of the baby when her mood changes.
8. Environmental stresses. That is abrupt change climate, change weather conditions, reducing the quality of food, water and air. Children, like adults, can be weather dependent. This is especially often noticed by parents of babies up to a year old, when they abruptly begin to act up, refuse to eat, or often wake up at night with a full moon, for example.
9. Impact from the environment. Since all processes in human body, including in the central nervous system, are chains of chemical reactions, then the causes of stress in a child can be those in the air and water toxic substances, poisoning, and exposure.

Effects of stress in children

As already mentioned, stress is a natural and inevitable reaction of the body, which to some extent adapts it to new conditions. Thus, the body itself tries to survive. However, prolonged stay in this state will inevitably have negative consequences for the entire biological system.

Negative consequences

• Increasing susceptibility to disease. The risk of cardiovascular disease increases fourfold. From 10% to 25% of children with prolonged exposure to stress suffer from an exacerbation chronic diseases internal organs. Even a healthy child on a nervous basis often develops gastritis and other problems. digestive system. Immunity is weakened, and as a result, the risk of infectious diseases increases.
• Sleep is disturbed. Even after short-term stress for example, insomnia may occur during preparation or after passing exams. As for children under 5 years old, they have a condition with frequent rises in the middle of the night, a desire to sleep with their parents, as well as a requirement to leave a light in the room.
• Psychological problems appear. The development of depression, an increased risk of committing suicide, which is especially pronounced in adolescents.
• Problems with food, its assimilation. Often in children living in regular stress, there is overweight(with an increase in appetite) or, conversely, its catastrophic decrease (when there is no appetite). In the first case, the child “eats” his problems, in the second he is so depressed that his body simply refuses to accept food.
• Prolonged exposure to stress slows down the body's responses.. cease to stand out in enough the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. As a result, the child will not be able to respond correctly in extreme situation. In a milder version, this may look like failing an exam when fully prepared. In sports, this condition is called "burned out."

Positive Consequences

Nature has thus taken care of the development defensive reactions to external stimuli, which allows you to quickly adapt. For example, hardening of the whole organism through dousing is based on this. During sports training stressful state allows you to develop the necessary conditioned reflexes. The psyche is strengthened, it becomes possible to quickly make decisions in emergency situations.

Positive stress occurs not only under the influence of fear or shock from a change in the usual state, but even with an unexpected positive event. For example, if the father returned from a business trip earlier to the child.

Important! After positive stress, the child's body quickly recovers, and in a similar situation there will no longer be such a violent reaction.

Methods for treating stress in a child

Often, in parallel with the elimination of the source, drugs such as tincture of valerian or motherwort are prescribed, which have a calming effect. The doctor may prescribe nootropic drugs that improve metabolic processes in the brain.

In addition, massages of the collar zone, electrosleep, coniferous baths or baths with sea salt are used. AT without fail vitamins are prescribed (B-complex in the prerogative). Compliance with sleep, nutrition, and in some cases diets is strongly recommended, which implies the exclusion of products that provoke excitation of the nervous system.

Psychocorrection of the behavior of children, as well as adults from the immediate environment (parents, guardians, grandparents) is carried out under the supervision of a psychologist.

Note! It must be remembered that it is more difficult to relieve stress in a child than to prevent its occurrence.

How to avoid stress in children

For this you will need:

1. Strict daily routine. First of all, children of any age must comply with the regimen, go to bed on time. Sleep should be uninterrupted and full. Babies need to be put to bed at the same time. Before this, water procedures are recommended. It is best if it is a shower. contrast procedures or hot baths are contraindicated. Of course, you can not overeat in the evening. Games before bedtime (including computer games), as well as physical exertion, should be avoided, as they are exciting. The same applies to mental stress in evening time.
2. Sports activities. Various physical activities increase resistance to stress in the morning, afternoon, evening (but no later than three hours before bedtime). Sports activities are generally a great way to relieve stress in children, increase self-esteem, improve general condition organism. Walking in the fresh air is very useful for relaxing after physical or mental stress. They can be both fast-paced and slow. At the same time, it is useful to communicate, ask about the state of health, the day spent, discuss problems, helping to get rid of the negativity accumulated during the day.
3. Limited access to computer, TV. It is necessary to control the content that comes to the child. Limit or completely eliminate overly aggressive computer games, movies with scenes of violence, materials that are not appropriate for the age.
4. Preparing for a stressful situation. To reduce the risk negative consequences, for example, when the child will go in kindergarten, psychologists recommend that parents play hide-and-seek with the baby. This will help to understand that the absence of mom or dad is temporary and always ends with their arrival.
5. Proper nutrition. healthy and healthy food also has a very importance for psychological state. This has already been mentioned in the causes of stress. And it's not just about taste sensations or feeling full. With food, the body receives the necessary minerals, which play an important role in chemical processes. They either provoke excessive excitability or calm the nervous system. For active and impressionable children who have problems, for example, with sleep, it is recommended to add mint, lemon balm to tea, drink warm milk before going to bed. In addition, for example, insufficient intake of an element such as magnesium contributes to the violation metabolic processes in cells, overexcitation of the nervous system, the development of a tendency to diabetes, increased blood pressure and so on. Magnesium deficiency is promoted by the use of phosphoric acid in carbonated sweet drinks, energy drinks, excessive consumption of processed foods, saturated food additives(glutamate, aspartate), taking psychostimulants.
6. Taking vitamins during the change of seasons. Starting from late autumn and ending in early spring, the natural intake of microelements (magnesium) into the body decreases. This is one of the factors causing stress. Therefore, it is necessary to compensate for the intake of the necessary substances by taking vitamins.

Removal of psycho-emotional stress in children

Workload modern preschoolers sometimes amazing. They attend kindergarten, various clubs and sports sections. Receiving a large amount of information, children get tired both physically and emotionally. At the same time, they need to be in time everywhere. The loads it experiences children's body negatively affect his health. That is why relaxation exercises are used in working with preschoolers. What it is?

This technique is based on the fact that science has long proven that there is a certain relationship between our body and mind. It is known that in a stressful state, a person's muscle tone increases. At the same time, there is Feedback. The removal of mental stress is possible with a decrease muscle tone. This is relaxation.

What is relaxation for children?This is the most The best way relieving tension (nervous, physical and mental), as well as relaxation, which allows you to eliminate the irritation factor. Very useful relaxation for children. After performing special exercises, the child becomes calm and balanced. He becomes more aware of his feelings. Relaxation exercises for children play a big role. Toddlers begin to control their own actions and emotions, and also master their feelings. Relaxation allows the little man to concentrate and relieve excitement. Relaxation exercises for children are recommended for all preschoolers. But they are especially important for those who are prone to frequent illnesses, as well as anxious, excitable and hyperactive.

Simple game relaxation for children can be used by educators or parents. Relaxation in this case is caused by special playing techniques, each of which, as a rule, has a figurative name (this can captivate children). Kids perform relaxation exercises, not only copying the movements of the teacher. Children are reincarnated and enter the image given to them. New games are able to interest the child, which allows him to relax well. The effect of the lesson is noticeable immediately by a calm facial expression, rhythmic and even breathing, etc. Relaxation for preschool children is extremely important. Daily exercises included in the daily regimen allow you to achieve a more calm and balanced state. Increased irritability and anger, excessive anxiety and fears, as well as tension are eliminated in children.

In order to emotionally defuse the child, offer him various games. Below you can find a description of some of them.

Relaxation exercises

"Sand Play"The child should sit on a chair, resting against its back. He must imagine that he is on the bank of a river with loose and cool sand. Baby with eyes closed deep breath should like to type it into a fist. Fingers should be squeezed as tightly as possible. In this position, the child should sit for a while. When exhaling, imaginary sand must be slowly “poured” onto your knees. At the end of the exercise, the arms should be “dropped” along the body.

"Pipe". This exercise will allow the baby to relax the muscles of the face. The child must imagine that he is holding a pipe in his hands. To "play" the instrument, the baby must be offered to draw as much air into the lungs as possible, and then stretch out his lips with a tube and pronounce a long sound "oooo".

"Sunny Bunny"This exercise also promotes relaxation. facial muscles. The kid must imagine that a ray of the sun "walks" on his face. First, a bright "bunny" jumps on his eyes - they need to be closed. Then the ray moves to the cheek, forehead, nose, mouth and chin. This playful "bunny" baby needs to be gently stroked.

"Icicle". When performing this exercise, relaxation of the muscles of the whole body is achieved. The adult invites the kids to imagine themselves in the role of an icicle, closing their eyes and standing up with their hands up. You should stay in this position for one to two minutes. Then the children are invited to imagine how the icicle slowly melts, warmed by the warm rays of the sun. In this case, the hands should be relaxed, and after that the muscles of the neck, shoulders, torso and legs. Relaxation texts can be applied at the same time. For children, such a "game" will be most interesting. So, during this exercise, the teacher is invited to pronounce the following words: “Under the roof of our house, an icicle hangs. The sun will warm, it will melt and fall.

"Walk". When performing this exercise, the children are seated on chairs. For muscle tension, they must raise their legs and, without touching the floor, “run” and “walk”. And at this time texts for relaxation can be used. For example: We were going for a walk. Hurry, don't fall behind! Everyone ran a little, our legs got tired. We'll sit for a while, but then we'll see.

The texts used for relaxation should help the baby create the necessary image, which will allow him to relax most effectively.