Reducing Stress: Family-Friendly Exercises to Calm Both Parents & Children

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Balancing the demands of school, work, and all the other activities that families deal with daily can leave both parents and children feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed out. Stress is an epidemic among the youth, dealing with an uncertain future and rising costs of education, and parents face their own fears in a world that can seem bleak and uncaring to many.

While there is no easy solution to all of these issues, breathing exercises are a simple, quick, and effective way to mitigate stress and anxiety, center and refocus your mindset, and help your children relax and take a break. Stress reduction exercises for parents are a way to take a step back from the world, reclaim control over what you can, and pass on healthy coping strategies and methods to your children as well. The best part is that, no matter where you are in life or what situation you are in, you can always practice these techniques and work on calming your mind, body, and soul!

Taking a Breather

There's a good reason that many religions incorporate aspects of meditation and breath exercises into the daily routine of their followers, as breath exercises can have a surprisingly profound and meaningful impact on your mental state and overall quality of life. If you've never tried them, the following exercises can be performed both with or without children present.

However, those who do have children will find that these techniques are likely to become one of the most powerful methods in your toolbox to keep kids calm, present, and focused. Teaching your kids strong coping methods for when life disappoints or frustrates them is a key aspect of being a parent, and working through these breathing exercises together will increase your emotional connection along with your child's self-awareness, imagination, and patience.

While these exercises are great for when issues come up, it's best to practice them regularly every day. This will encourage healthy habits, and help your child remember to perform the exercises when they are feeling stressed. Let's look at the specific relaxation techniques you can use together as a family.

Exercise #1: Belly Breathing

One of the best breathing exercises for parents and children is to practice your deep diaphragmatic breathing. This type of deep breathing helps kids feel calm and slowly bring their emotions under control.

To complete this breathing exercise, first lay down with your child. Begin by placing a stuffed animal or toy that they are familiar with on their belly, and encoaurage them to breathe deeply enough that they can see the toy or animal rise up and down.

This will encourage them to practice deep breathing, which is one of the best ways to reduce stress. Have them visualize breathing slowly breathing in and out slowly and deeply. When younger kids visualize breathing slowly and the rising and falling motion of their bellies, they release tension and feel more relaxed.

Exercise #2: Balloon Breathing

This exercise takes a normal breathing pattern and slows it down for a very simple exercise that can be performed anywhere.

To start, have them breathe deeply for three seconds, pause, and exhale for another three seconds. While they slowly breathe, have them imagine a balloon in their favorite color and imagine that the balloon is growing more colorful and filling up as they inhale, just like their lungs. As they exhale slowly, have them imagine that the balloon is deflating and the color is fading as well.

This exercise is similar to square breathing, one of the most popular overall breathing exercises that adults use to calm themselves down. For square breathing, inhale for four seconds, pause for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and pause for four seconds again. Repeating this "square" pattern over and over can help younger children and adults alike calm down, focus, and live presently.

More Tips to Reduce Stress

While breathing exercises often top lists of ways to quickly and easily reduce stress because they require no materials and are so simple they can be done anywhere, there are many other great ways for families to reduce stress together. Don't let stress build up and start driving your family apart - take the initiative, be proactive, and consider performing some of the following stress reduction activities together as a family occasionally, on a schedule, or whenever you feel like you all need a break.

Technique #1: Mindfulness in Nature

One of the best stress reduction techniques is to take a nature walk while explicitly practicing mindfulness. Choose a beautiful natural setting, and instruct each family member to pay close attention to their surroundings, like the rustling leaves or the color of the grass.

While on the walk, discuss the importance of living in the present moment fully, and feel free to encourage positive affirmations spoken about each other. These mindful nature walks will become a cornerstone of your family's development and will help everyone learn to live in the moment and let their stress melt away.

Technique #2: Aromatherapy Relaxation

Many yoga studios and other calming environments utilize essential oil aromatherapy or scented wax burners and candles to slowly release an intimate, relaxing smell throughout the space. When your family is stressed out, try using a similar technique to release a smell everyone likes.

This smell will not only help relax your family, but it will also subconsciously cue them that it is now time to relax. Eventually, everyone will realize that when the smells come out it's a special time to relax and set aside their worries.

While the candle or oil is releasing its scent, practice classic meditation techniques like the breathing techniques, sitting in a circle, practicing mindfulness, and telling each other more positive affirmations about themselves. This will bring the family closer together and help manifest love for one another

Technique #3: Get Moving!

After time spent relaxing and calming down, it's important to get up and get your blood flowing again. Incorporating a period of intense physical activity, like dancing together as fast as possible to a song your family all enjoys, is a great way to reduce stress and release positive neurotransmitters in your brain.

Whether or not you are doing the physical activities after the other two stress reduction techniques or just by itself periodically, there are many benefits from doing something like a family dance party or another exercise together. You will be in better shape, feel less depressed, lower your blood pressure, laugh together, and become closer as a family unit. Don't neglect the importance of physical activity and exercise in maintaining a happy, stress-free family.

The Family That Laughs Together

While some may question these techniques, the reality is that keeping the family unit together is, now more than ever, an extremely important task. With families breaking apart regularly, children lacking parental guidance, and a society intent on replacing or reducing the importance of the family unit, now is not the time to leave your family's future up to chance.

One way to make sure that everyone is happy and healthy, as well as get a pulse on the feelings of those in the family, is by performing the activities in this article. Breathing exercises are a great place to start that can be done anywhere, and guided meditation and nature walks will help you connect and relate to your family. These will provide physical and psychological benefits, along with enabling greater and more nuanced communication between family members.

Finally, finish it all off with a burst of physical activity, and by the end of it everyone will be laughing, happy, and having fun together. That's the goal of anyone in charge of a family, to facilitate deep, meaningful connections between members that will last for a lifetime. Follow these steps and you will be well on your way to building the family of your dreams!