As stressful school year begins, tips to help equip your child's mind with C.A.L.M.

We have a pretty laid back summer at our house. We intentionally limit the number of structured activities and camps to give us time to breathe and relax.

We have pizza/movie nights, pool days and beach vacations. It’s a time for us to reconnect with each other and re-energize our minds and bodies. However, I would be lying if, once July 31 rolled around, I wasn’t a little excited about school starting and getting back into a routine.

As a mom, the beginning of a new school year is both exciting and stressful. For children, there are new possibilities, new friends, and new adventures to look forward to.

As parents, we want to set our kids up for success in every way. We buy them new school supplies and clothes and get them new haircuts. We want to look after them and make sure their physical needs are met, even when they aren’t under our roof.

However, we often overlook our children’s mental preparedness as we approach this new season. Not only are our children nervous about what is to come, but they feel pressure to perform. This anxiety can take a toll on their mental health.

As you prepare to begin the school year, equip your child’s mind with C.A.L.M.:

Share this breathing technique with your child to help center them when they feel nervous, anxious, or stressed. They can do this anywhere without anyone noticing:

Repeat to yourself with your breath: “I am BRAVE.” as you inhale, “I am CALM.” as you exhale. Repeat until you feel your nervousness subsiding.

By being aware of their mind and body’s reaction to stress, children are better able to self-regulate and calm. Practice this simple exercise with your children to teach them how to become more attune to stresses and their mind and body’s reaction.

Ask them to discuss a stress that they are currently facing. Then, ask how they felt as they were sharing the experience with you. By identifying the negative feelings associated with the anxiety, the feelings begin to lose power and become easier to navigate. The more they practice this, the easier it will become for children to recognize and control their reaction to anxiety, stress, or negative feelings in the future.

Practicing mindful listening can do wonders for your child’s anxiety, stress, and lack of focus.

You can do mindful listening wherever you are. You and your children can do this together by closing your eyes and listening to what is around you. After listening for 3-4 minutes, ask your child to identify 5 sounds that they notice. Then, get quiet again, and ask them to identify 5 more sounds. By having to listen even more carefully, they, in turn, have to quiet their mind (without realizing it!) and will begin to release the stress they are experiencing.

I am a big believer that movement and exercise can do wonders for mental health. Exercise naturally releases endorphins and can help build confidence in both children and adults. So, whether your child likes to run, dance, do yoga, play a sport, or just run around the house and be silly, they can benefit from movement. Get your child moving for at least 30 minutes a day, enough that they work up a little sweat. Maybe even do the movement with your child! You can bond while releasing stress and improving the health of everyone in your family as you approach the new school year.

Namaste (The Light in Me Sees The Light in You)