Stress Reduction Exercise for Kids

     Last week I had an opportunity to teach a single introductory class to a small group of pediatric nursing students. While feeling a bit frustrated about how little time I had to teach compared to how much I wanted to share, I had a sudden inspiration about how important was their presence with young patients. Having a few ideas for helping little ones with stress reduction at the often stressful time of hospitalization or doctor’s visits could be a good thing. I recommend that those wishing to share practices like this actually do it themselves or with some adults first so they can understand and feel comfortable with the process. After all, the best we have to offer others is our own level of comfort and resonance, especially in a healing setting. This of course is also a good thing to teach your own child even when there are no special stresses.

     Here’s one guided meditation exercise adapted from a Taoist practice called the Inner Smile. I call it Smiley Face.

     Depending on the age and mobility of the child, I would offer a piece of paper and some crayons or markers. Ask the child if you can play a little imaginary game with them that will help them feel better while they are in the hospital. Tell them it is something they can try anytime they feel scared or uncomfortable

     Ask the child to imagine or draw a smiling face on the papers. It can be the face of someone they know from real life, their own face or that of someone they make up. Have them concentrate on the smile on that face and draw it or try to hold onto the image mentally. They might want to tell you who it is, or give the figure a name. They may just imagine it and not draw anything at all. If they have trouble imagining a face, you can also suggest the classic yellow “smiley” that almost everyone is familiar with.

     Then ask the child to invite that beautiful warm smile to come up close to their own face. They can smile back at it if they wish or talk to it.

     Then ask them to imagine that smile coming inside them through a little doorway in their forehead. Remind them that only they hold the key to the door. Let them move at their own pace- you must be in tune with that to help them. You don’t want to trigger fear in a place where the children may already have some fears of invasive procedures.

     Once they are comfortable with the idea of the smile coming inside their heads, then they can direct its movement through the body- letting it stop at various organs like the heart, or stomach, etc. to bring a warm healthy feeling. It might also tickle them a bit. The child may be able to share what that feels like. They may also spend some time having the smile visit any particular area of illness or injury.

     When you have helped the child survey his or her body in this way, you can direct them to take a few deep breathes and remember the good feelings of the smile. You might also hang the picture in a place where the child can see it or tell them they can always carry that picture in their heads to use anytime they wish.

Ask them to share anything they would like about the game. Depending on the child, I think this could be used successfully for children from 3- 10 or older.