Breathing Exercises for Anxiety for Kids and Teens

Anyone who can breathe can do breathing exercises — therefore anyone with anxiety can do breathing exercises for anxiety. It's just that simple. Breathing is one of the few things our autonomic nervous system controls. It happens even when we don't tell it to.

When I first started doing counseling in the school setting, I met another clinician who taught elementary school students breathing exercises. I knew it was valuable — but I hadn't fully connected it for that age group yet. Of course it makes sense to teach breathing skills to younger children. They're still learning to deal with their bodies and their bodies' responses to stress and anxiety. Teaching them something they can do anywhere, virtually at any time, is valuable for all of us.

Taking deep, deliberate breaths can calm a person physically and mentally. Deep breathing techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system — the part that controls reactions to stress — and redirect the mind to a simple task, distracting from anxious thoughts.

"By teaching kids breathing exercises, we're giving them a valuable tool for their toolbox," says Stephanie Richardson, LCSW. "Children can use deep breathing to help them throughout the day, whether they're feeling overwhelmed or anxious, need to relax or go to sleep, to calm their body after exercising, or even just to pause and reset when they are high energy."

1. Ask your child to breathe normally and notice how they're feeling.
2. Have them place one hand on their belly (above the belly button) and one hand on their upper chest.
3. Tell them to take a deep breath in through their nose, filling their lungs downward toward the belly.
4. As their belly expands, notice the bottom hand rise.
5. Then breathe out slowly through the mouth, feeling the bottom hand lower.
6. To encourage a slow exhale, ask them to pretend to blow out candles or make a sound with their exhale.
7. After several deep belly breaths, ask how they feel.

Tips for success:

• Practice when calm — the most important thing is to practice when your child feels good, so they have the tool ready in moments of stress.
• Start young — even toddlers can learn to slow their breaths when upset.
• Use counting — inhale for 3, pause, exhale for 4. The actual length matters less than slowing down and focusing.
• Adapt to your child — there's no one right way. Do what makes your child most comfortable.

Breathing exercises for anxiety can help in many ways:

• Relaxes the body
• Trains the mind to refocus attention
• Significantly reduces stress and anxiety
• Lowers heart rate
• Increases oxygen flow, creating a calming effect on body and mind

Teenagers don't necessarily want to talk about their issues — they just want to feel better. Breathwork is perfect for them: it's empowering, requires no talking, and gives them a tool they can use anywhere.

Simple and effective anywhere — sitting, standing, or lying down:

1. Relax the tummy
2. Place one hand just beneath the ribs
3. Breathe in slowly and deeply through the nose, noticing the hand rise
4. Breathe out through the mouth, noticing the hand fall

A quick, powerful technique for calming anywhere:

1. Sit with your back straight, tip of tongue on the back of upper front teeth
2. Breathe out through the mouth, making a whooshing sound
3. Close the mouth and breathe in through the nose for a count of 4
4. Hold the breath for a count of 7
5. Breathe out through the mouth for a count of 8, making a whooshing sound
6. Inhale, then repeat three times

1. Sit or lie in a comfortable position, eyes open or closed
2. Inhale through the nose until the tummy expands
3. Slowly let the breath out through the mouth
4. Focus on the breath coming in and going out
5. Notice the rise and fall of the tummy
6. When thoughts come, notice them without judgment, then return to the breath

Combines deep breathing with visualization:

1. Relax all muscles in the face and shoulders
2. Imagine having holes in the soles of your feet
3. Take a deep breath, visualizing it as hot air entering through those holes
4. Imagine the air flowing up the legs, through the tummy, filling the lungs
5. Relax each muscle as the air passes it
6. Breathe out slowly, imagining the air leaving back through the feet
7. Repeat until calm

The benefits of breathing exercises for anxiety are clear. I frequently stop and take deep breaths when I'm going through something difficult. When you pair it with understanding the positive changes it makes in your body and mind, focusing on your breathing every day can improve your health by leaps and bounds.

Have questions about supporting your child's anxiety? Reach out to schedule a session — I'm here to help.