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You are here: Home / Sensory Regulation / 10 Ways to Calm Down Without Anyone Knowing

10 Ways to Calm Down Without Anyone Knowing

November 9, 2016 by Amy Smith

It’s not easy being a kid in schools these days.  Things like high pressure testing, a fast-paced work curriculum,  trying to “fit in”, and bullying are stressful issues that kids have to deal with on a daily basis. Therefore, kids need to learn how to be able to calm themselves down in a healthy way when they are feeling stressed.

Learn calming tips to help kids relax while at school, without anyone else knowing and without the need for equipment or tools.

 

These “10 Ways to Calm Down without Anyone Knowing” are perfect to do at school because they are effective, don’t requirement equipment, and can be done discretely, even while sitting at their desk.  Plus, your child won’t have to worry about feeling “different” because no one will have to know that their subtle actions are actually helping them to calm down.

 

10 Ways to Calm Down Without Anyone Knowing 

1. Dots on Hands- Apply gentle but firm pressure to the palm of one hand with the thumb of the other.  Repeat 10 times on each side

 

10 Ways to Calm Down Without Anyone Knowing

 

2. Arm Squeezes- Starting at the shoulder,  give yourself firm but gentle slow squeezes all the way down your arm.  After you reach the hand, switch to the opposite arm and repeat.  Make sure you are doing them slowly.  Repeat cycle 1-5 times on both arms.

Start at the shoulder and work downwards
Start at the shoulder and work downwards

 

Start to slowly move down the arm
Start to slowly move down the arm

3. Arm Pretzels– Start with arms  stretched outright, turn thumbs down, cross arms, interlock fingers, and curl arms up to make this “pretzel” shape.  Hold position while taking 5 deep breaths.

10 Ways to Calm Down Without Anyone Knowing
4. Chewing– Chewing on something can be very calming.  Try chewing gum or the top of a water bottle (preferably one that can shifts up and down), or  these pencil topper chewys.

Purchase these pencil topper chewys from Amazon.com by clicking on the image

 

10 ways to calm down without anyone knowing
Use a water bottle with a movable top for oral fidgeting

5. Belly Breathing- Put both hands on your belly and feel it expand when you inhale and shrink when you exhale.  Repeat for 30-60 seconds.

10 ways to calm down without anyone knowing

6. Fidget with something- Having an item to fidget with in your hands can help to calm your nerves.  Pick “everyday” items that are easily accessible and discrete such as bracelets, pencil toppers, or pencils/pens for doodling.

Purchase these sensory fidget bracelets from Amazon.com by clicking on the image
10 ways to Calm down without anyone knowing
Try drawing or doodling to calm some anxious nerves

7. Rub Ears- Gently massage both ear lobes to help decrease stress for 30-60 seconds.

10 Ways to Calm Down Without Anyone Knowing

8. Hand Presses- Firmly press hands together for 5 seconds and then relax.  Repeat 3-5 times.

10 ways to calm down without anyone knowing

9. Take a Walk- Even within the confines of a classroom, you can still take a short walk to do things like sharpen a pencil, get a tissue from the tissue box, throw a scrap away in the trashcan, or walk to the teacher’s desk to ask a question.  Even if you don’t really need to do any of these tasks, try them out because walking can  help to decrease stress.

10 ways to calm down without anyone knowing

10. Drink Water- Drinking water helps to decrease stress.  Many schools permit water bottles in class, but if not, try asking to go to the water fountain if you need to calm yourself down.

10 ways to calm down without anyone knowing

 

Make sure you talk about these strategies with your child and practice them at home before doing them at school.  As always, its best to let your child’s teacher know if your child is feeling overwhelmed at school and discuss the possibility of using these calming techniques.

If these strategies aren’t helping to calm your child and you suspect anxiety or stress may be the culprit, you may want to seek professional psychology services.  Fortunately, there are convenient online counseling sessions  available from Better Help’s Online Psychologists.


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Filed Under: Sensory Regulation Tagged With: calming activities, school

Disclaimer

Kids Play Smarter is a blog about general ideas, theories, and concepts related to the field of occupational therapy and the growth and development of all children. The information presented on this blog is not intended to serve as or replace occupational therapy services for your child. The information on this blog is for entertainment, informational, and educational purposes only. This blog is not meant to replace formal professional consultation or evaluation from a qualified clinician. All children need to have the approval of a physician to participate in physical activities, including those described on this blog. In addition, children need to be supervised by a responsible adult at ALL times when completing activities that are illustrated and described on this blog. The author of this blog is NOT responsible or liable for any damage, injury, accident, illness, death, or adverse reaction due to participation in the activities described on the website.

Comments

  1. kasia says

    December 16, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    amazing! exactly what i needed for my project with kids. thank youuuuu

  2. FidelSmall says

    December 28, 2017 at 2:35 pm

    I have checked your blog and i’ve found some duplicate content, that’s
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Welcome to Kids Play Smarter

Amy Smith I am an occupational therapist with over 10 years of experience working with children. I created this website to offer parents, teachers, and therapists FREE ideas, strategies, and activities that they can do with their children to improve their fine and gross motor skills, handwriting, academic learning, and regulate their sensory system all while "playing" (just playing smarter)! Read More…

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