Respiration or breathing is another super power! As we all know, our body automatically breathes at a resting rate to supply our bodies with oxygen for survival. Our breath also changes to meet our bodies demands. If we need more oxygen and energy we breath faster, if we need less, we breath slower.
When in ‘fight, flight or freeze’ our breathing also changes. We often have faster, deeper or even shallower breathes in order to cope with the ‘threat’. This enabled our bodies to react fast in emergency situations, to fight, flight or freeze.
In the modern day, the perceived threats have changed. Rather than running from a Dinosaur, we may perceive a loud bang as a threat or walking into a busy shopping centre. Children who are feeling anxious or worried, or are feeling overwhelmed may have respiration changes. These are important to look for as a sign of how a child is feeling.
The greatest power is that we can control our breath! We can also teach our children how to control and use their breath to self-regulate and feel calm in these situations.
Some go to OT strategies or activities to encourage slow and controlled breath include:
- Do 10 deep breathes
- Blow into your drink bottle straw for 10 seconds
- Blow an imaginary candle out
- Blow up a balloon or balloon animal
- Draw a picture with blow pens
- Blow your 5 fingers down
- Create a bubble volcano, fill a container with water and soap, let the child blow through a straw until it overflows
- Use toys that require breath, such as whistles, instruments, floating ball toys
- Blow a cotton ball or tissue in a race
- Roll over a fitball on your tummy breathing out as you roll, do 10 rolls/breathes
Focus on a slow and controlled rate, use a slow soothing and rhythmic voice to encourage this.
Written by Laura Taylor, Occupational Therapist.
