Anxiety Reducing Exercises

In December, the US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, issued a health advisory that our young people are experiencing a mental health crisis. Anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness have been on the rise for a decade and have increased significantly since the pandemic. This is the time to talk with your children about anxiety and teach them ways they can control it. Don’t underestimate deep breathing to calm oneself down. Try the Four-Square Box Breath to bring the heart rate down and lower blood pressure….

Four-Square Box Breathing: • Exhale to a count of four. • Hold your lungs empty for a four count. • Inhale through your nose to a count of four. • Hold air in your lungs for a count of four. • Exhale and begin the pattern anew.

The characters in the book, Four Anxious Armadillos model these strategies as they learn to calm themselves down when they are feeling anxious.