Coping Skills for Kids: 8 Effective Exercises to Practice
By Quinn Weisensee, LAC | March 08, 2024
We all need coping skills to help us through the ups and downs of our lives, so it is important to have a well-equipped toolbox! Coping skills can be anything from exercise to deep breathing, depending on the need. Learning to listen to our bodies about what we need is a skill that will go a long way! Parents can help children by teaching them how to identify their physical and emotional needs so that they can know which coping skills may help them in a moment of dysregulation.
Here are 8 options for coping skills that may be useful for your child!
1. Exercise/movement
- Walking, biking, jumping, swimming, or getting the body moving helps with processing and regulation (Sussex Publishers, n.d.)
2. Mindful stretching
- This helps with slowing down and noticing what the body is experiencing. It helps with control and with noticing where tension might be held in the body.
- Here is a YouTube video to help practice this skill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0_KxGuaSBQ
3. Art project
- Art is a great way to express feelings and there are many different mediums of art. This could be dance, painting, pottery, knitting, and more (Klammer, n.d.).
4. Deep breathing
- Deep breathing is not as straight forward as it may seem. There are many different types of breathing techniques with a variety of difficulty levels and styles. Examples are bubble breathing, belly breathing, five finger breaths, 4-7-8 breathing, etc. Here are some YouTube videos to help practice this skill:
- Belly Breathing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN28VLYpCUc
- Box Breathing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfMA0YA1IVA
5. Deep pressure
- This is a great way to relax the body! This can be done by using weighted blankets, bear hugs, being wrapped in a blanket like a burrito, massage, etc. (Harkla, n.d.)
6. Music
- Music is a powerful tool for regulation. Binaural beats are a type of music specifically designed to calm the nervous system (Psychology Today, n.d.).
7. Smelling good smells
- Scent is a great tool to use for grounding. Choose a calming essential oil and put it on your wrist when you need an extra boost to re-regulate.
8. Progressive muscle relaxation
- This is a good one if you are holding a lot of tension, as it provides an opportunity to relax (Cleveland Clinic, 2023).
- Here is a YouTube video to help practice this skill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nZEdqcGVzo
Recommended Reads
We all need coping skills to help us through the ups and downs of our lives, so it is important to have a well-equipped toolbox! Coping skills can be anything from exercise to deep breathing, depending on the need. Learning to listen to our bodies about what we need is a skill that will go a long way! Parents can help children by teaching them how to identify their physical and emotional needs so that they can know which coping skills may help them in a moment of dysregulation.
Here are 8 options for coping skills that may be useful for your child!
1. Exercise/movement
- Walking, biking, jumping, swimming, or getting the body moving helps with processing and regulation (Sussex Publishers, n.d.)
2. Mindful stretching
- This helps with slowing down and noticing what the body is experiencing. It helps with control and with noticing where tension might be held in the body.
- Here is a YouTube video to help practice this skill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0_KxGuaSBQ
3. Art project
- Art is a great way to express feelings and there are many different mediums of art. This could be dance, painting, pottery, knitting, and more (Klammer, n.d.).
4. Deep breathing
- Deep breathing is not as straight forward as it may seem. There are many different types of breathing techniques with a variety of difficulty levels and styles. Examples are bubble breathing, belly breathing, five finger breaths, 4-7-8 breathing, etc. Here are some YouTube videos to help practice this skill:
- Belly Breathing:
- Box Breathing:
5. Deep pressure
- This is a great way to relax the body! This can be done by using weighted blankets, bear hugs, being wrapped in a blanket like a burrito, massage, etc. (Harkla, n.d.)
6. Music
- Music is a powerful tool for regulation. Binaural beats are a type of music specifically designed to calm the nervous system (Psychology Today, n.d.).
7. Smelling good smells
- Scent is a great tool to use for grounding. Choose a calming essential oil and put it on your wrist when you need an extra boost to re-regulate.
8. Progressive muscle relaxation
- This is a good one if you are holding a lot of tension, as it provides an opportunity to relax (Cleveland Clinic, 2023).
- Here is a YouTube video to help practice this skill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nZEdqcGVzo
Recommended Reads
References
100 art therapy exercises – the updated and Improved list. The Art of Emotional Healing by Shelley Klammer. (n.d.). https://www.expressiveartworkshops.com/expressive-art-resources/100-art-therapy-exercises/
Binaural beats | psychology Today. (n.d.). https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/binaural-beats
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, December 18). Relax your way to better sleep (and more). https://health.clevelandclinic.org/progressive-muscle-relaxation-pmr
Harkla. (n.d.). The Ultimate Guide to Deep Pressure therapy. https://harkla.co/blogs/special-needs/deep-pressure-therapy#:~:text=Increases%20In%20Endorphins%20and%20Neurotransmitters,and%20help%20with%20mood%20regulation.
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). One incredibly easy way to improve your emotional regulation. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201604/one-incredibly-easy-way-improve-your-emotional-regulation
References
100 art therapy exercises – the updated and Improved list. The Art of Emotional Healing by Shelley Klammer. (n.d.). https://www.expressiveartworkshops.com/ expressive-art-resources/100-art-therapy-exercises/
Binaural beats | psychology Today. (n.d.). https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/ basics/binaural-beats
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, December 18). Relax your way to better sleep (and more). https://health.clevelandclinic.org/progre ssive-muscle-relaxation-pmr
Harkla. (n.d.). The Ultimate Guide to Deep Pressure therapy. https://harkla.co/blogs/special-needs/deep-pressure-therapy#:~:text=Increases%20In%20End orphins%20and%20Neurotransmitters, and%20help%20with%20mood%20regu lation.
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). One incredibly easy way to improve your emotional regulation. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us /blog/the-athletes-way/201604/one-incredibly-easy-way-improve-your-emotional-regulation
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