Introduction

Everyone experiences stress and overwhelming thoughts at times, and children are no exception. In fact, they may need even more guidance in managing their thoughts, especially at school or while trying to fall asleep. One effective technique to help children slow down their thoughts and relax is called Counting Breaths. This simple method can be easily taught to elementary students, helping them learn to control their breathing and develop mindfulness.

No-Prep Activity: Counting Breaths Practice

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. Simply guide your students through the following steps:

1. Have students sit in a comfortable seated position, with their arms hanging down by their sides or resting gently on their knees.
2. Instruct them to shrug their shoulders up to their ears and let them drop, releasing any tension they may be carrying.
3. Encourage students to take a few deep breaths on their own, inhaling and exhaling slowly.
4. As they inhale, have them mentally count to one. On the exhale, they should feel the muscles in their face relax.
5. On the next inhale, have them mentally count to two. As they exhale, they should feel the muscles in their neck and shoulders relax.
6. Continue this process, increasing the count with each inhale and focusing on a different part of the body with each exhale.
7. After a few rounds, encourage students to continue counting and breathing on their own, focusing on the sensations in their body and letting go of any distracting thoughts.

By practicing this exercise regularly, students can develop a greater sense of mindfulness and learn to manage their stress more effectively.

Discussion Questions

After completing the Counting Breaths activity, engage your students in a discussion with the following questions:

1. How did you feel before and after practicing Counting Breaths? Did you notice any changes in your body or thoughts?
2. What was the most challenging part of this activity for you? How can you work on improving that aspect?
3. Can you think of any situations where using Counting Breaths might be helpful for you? How might it benefit you in those situations?
4. What are some other strategies you can use to manage stress and overwhelming thoughts?
5. How can practicing mindfulness help you in your everyday life, both in and out of school?

Related Skills

Teaching students to practice Counting Breaths is just one way to help them develop important skills related to social-emotional learning. Some other relevant skills for students to learn include:

• Active listening
• Emotion regulation
• Self-awareness
• Empathy and understanding others’ emotions
• Conflict resolution

Next Steps

Interested in learning more about teaching social-emotional learning skills to your elementary students? Sign up for free samples of the discussed skill and others at Everyday Speech. By incorporating these valuable skills into your students’ education, you can help them build a strong foundation for success both in and out of the classroom.