Breathing and Meditation

Use this video to help you calm your breathing - click HERE to watch.

Get comfortable and listen to this relaxing meditation video of a balloon - click HERE.

Bubbles. Find somewhere quiet and restful. Take a deep breath in before you blow the bubbles and a long, slow breath when blowing out. Think about and listen to your breathing every time. Watch the bubbles as they float up into the sky. Think about what you can hear, see, smell and touch. Repeat this until you feel calm and relaxed.

Countdown. Think about...

5 things you can see

4 things you can hear

3 things you can touch

2 things you can smell

1 deep breath

Body scan. Lie on your back on a comfortable surface and close your eyes. Clench (squeeze) your feet muscles as hard as you can for 3 seconds then release them. Do the same with your calf muscles and keep going all the way up your body to your face. Are you feeling calm now? If not, do the exercise again until you feel better.

Five finger breathing. Hold up your hand. Trace around the outside of each finger using your other hand. Breathe in as you go up a finger, pause, breathe out as you go down a finger, pause. Shake out your hands at the end and decide if you need to do it again. This is a good exercise to do under your desk if you're feeling anxious. Click HERE for a video to teach you how to do this.

Belly breathing. Put your hands on your tummy with your fingers interlocked. Breathe in through your nose as your hands come out. Breathe out through your mouth as your hands go back deep into your tummy (suck it all in so it feels like there's no air left). Repeat slowly until you feel calm.

Safe space. Decide what your safe space is at a time when you are calm and happy. It can be very ordinary. You could draw a picture or just imagine it really well. If you think you are going to become worried about something or if you're already feeling anxious, imagine the safe space or look at your picture to help you calm down.

Click below to see lots more calm exercises which you could print out and cut up.