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When students feel overwhelmed in the classroom it can be hard to find appropriate ways for them to cope with their emotions. Below is a list of 50 ideas children can use to cope with their emotions that can be done practically anywhere.
When I feel upset, sad, or unfocused at school I can:

1. Breathe. As I zoom my attention to my breathing, I will take extra-long breaths.

2. Squeeze a stress ball or use another teacher-approved fidget.

3. Imagine a a peaceful and calming place.

4. Ask to deliver books to the library or another class.

5. Push against the wall as hard as I can and then relax my body.

6. Invent a secret hard signal with my teacher that communicates I need help.

7. Move away from the distraction or person who is bothering me.

8. Write down my thoughts or questions if my teachers can't address them right away.

9. Volunteer to clean or organize the classroom.

10. Drink water.

11. Ask permission to take a short walk down the hallway or up and down the stairs. And then return.

12. Rest my head on the desk for a moment or two.

13. Listen to calming music with headphones.

14. Tell myself a positive affirmation or mantra.

15. Remind myself it's okay to make a mistake.

16. Read in a quiet spot.

17. Journal or write a letter.

18. Push my palms together.

19. Ask my teacher to break down the assignment into smaller chunks so it's not so overwhelming.

20. Take a three to five minute break in the designated classroom peace corner.

21. Visualize a person who supports me and cheers me on.

22. Think or write a list of three positive things in my life.

23. Zoom in on my senses. Notice 5 things I see, 4 things I feel, 3 things I hear, 2 things I smell, and 1 thing I taste.

24. Simply trace my hand around my finger, breathing in as I trace my fingers going up. Breathing out as I trace my fingers going down.

25. Use a break card to let my teacher know I need a break and then use a timer to remind me when to return.

26. Rub my temples.

27. Smile or laugh even if I have to fake it.

28. Do an act of kindness.

29. Eat a healthy snack for tell my teacher I'm hungry.

30. Give myself or a stuffed animal a great big hug.

31. Ask permission to quietly jog in place for a minute or do 20 jumping jacks.

32. Ask if I can do my work standing up.

33. Talk with my school counselor.

34. Cross my arms in front of me and do the arm pretzel.

35. Help a classmate or my teacher.

36. Give myself an arm and hand massage.

37. Go outside during recess and notice the sky, trees, and sounds from nature.

38. Tell my teacher I need help with the assignment a lesson.

39. Devise a secret code word or signal with my teacher that means time to get back on track.

40. Stretch.

41. Doodle, draw, or color.

42. Ask to work with a buddy.

43. Place my hands over my ears and breathe slowly and deeply, listening to the sound that my breath makes.

44. Use I-statements to express how I'm feeling, what I need, or what I hope for.

45. Count to 10 in back in coordination with my breath.

46. Ask my teacher for help if I feel upset or overwhelmed.

47. Roll my neck and shoulders.

48. Think about least three things I'm grateful for.

49. Tell my teacher I like to help her take a classroom responsibility.

50. Squeeze my fists together as hard as I can, hold, then relax my hands.

As seen on Connect the Dots to ACEs

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50 Self Regulation Coping Strategies Students Can Use at School - NCYI - National Center for Youth Issues

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Self Regulation Coping Strategies Students Can Use at School When students feel overwhelmed in the classroom it can be hard to find appropriate ways for them to cope with their emotions. Below is a list of 50 ideas children can use to cope with their emotions that can be done practically anywhere.

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Inside: Kid-friendly coping skills used to help manage anger, including safe ways to express anger, books to read and videos that can help. This post contains affiliate links. Learn more.
It's starting again, as usual, right after your son gets off the school bus. He is frustrated from things that happened during the day, and now he's yelling and stomping around the house. You're feeling overwhelmed and don't know what to do next.
How do you help an angry child?
Here's a collection of the best tools and tips to teach children how to manage their anger in safe and healthy ways. Let's start with some quick, safe ways to help kids express those feelings.

Looking for more quick ideas to help kids express their anger?
Stop sensory meltdowns by hanging upside down 5 simple ways to help children calm angry feelings 10 more ways to help kids manage anger A Different Way to Respond When Your Child is Aggressive
We need to help our kids understand and expect that they will experience a variety of feelings as they go through life, including anger. It's normal to feel angry at times. It's what you do with those feelings that matter.

Here's a great reminder from Imperfect Families that anger is a feeling too.

When a child is in fight, flight or freeze mode, they can't process information as well as when their body is in rest and digest mode. This is not a teachable moment, and they can't take in a lecture at this point. Your goal is to get them through this rough moment. It's best to keep talking to a minimum. When you do speak, make sure you use a neutral, calm, and quiet tone. Keep it short and repeat the same phrase. Repeating it is helpful because they aren't processing information and words as they usually would. Repetition makes it more likely that they'll hear what you are saying.

Phrases that you can say at that moment:

"I'm here for you."

"I love you."

"I want to help you."

"Let me know when you're ready."

"You are mad; I get it."

"I understand."

Looking for some more inspiration for phrases to say? Check this out:
26 Phrases to Calm and Angry Child
When some kids get big feelings, they destroy items around them - rip books, throw toys, etc. If that's the case for your child, it may be helpful for you to set up a safe spot where kids can go when they are angry. In that space, take everything out that can be destroyed or thrown that might injure someone or damage property. If you have more than one floor, set up a safe spot on each level of your home.

If you aren't in the safe spot when your child is dealing with big feelings, move harmful objects out of the way and try to get them to that safe place.

It may make sense to set up their room as a safe place too. We found this helpful when our son was dealing with a lot of angry feelings. We moved his toys and his bookshelf to a different room in the house so he could still play with them. The items that stayed in his room were those things that wouldn't hurt him or us. We did this to keep everyone, including him, safe. And as time went on, and he had better control of his emotions, we were able to add things back to his room.

How to Make a Calm Down Spot at home
Calm Space in Schools
One of the best things you can do is work on teaching coping skills kids can use before things escalate to epic proportions. The trick is practicing when they are in a calm and relaxed mood, not in the moment when they are angry.

Identify Triggers

Start by talking about what's making them angry. Help them identify those triggers, so you both know for the next time. Is it a particular school subject that makes them frustrated? Perhaps being hungry or thirsty? Are their specific noises or locations that are frustrating?

help kids identify where they feel angry in their body

Sometimes, kids don't know they're angry until after the explosion has happened. Help them identify the signs their body gives them that they are feeling angry. Over time, they'll start to recognize that feeling and ideally use a coping skill before things get too overwhelming.

Explore what other emotions they may be feeling

When kids are angry, there are usually other feelings that they are experiencing too. But anger is easy to see and often hides different feelings that lie below the surface. It's sometimes referred to as the "Anger Iceberg." It takes a bit of time to figure it out, but when your child is in a calm place, talk about what other feelings may be hiding underneath their anger.

Read more about the anger iceberg here.

Identify and practice coping skills

Now that they know what causes those big feelings and how to identify them, help them figure out ways to deal with those feelings in safe and healthy ways. Go through the coping skills checklist and have kids check off the skills that work for them, cross off the ones that don't and circle the ones they want to try.

Identify one coping skill your child would like to try. Take a few minutes during the week and have them practice a coping skill they may be able to use next time. For example, if they are going to try using shapes for deep breathing, have them practice before, so they know how it feels. The idea is to have them practice, so they know what it feels like to do it when they are calm.

Using coping skills to deal with big feelings will not go perfectly every time. Learning to manage anger is a work in progress. Little by little, with practice and time, kids will get better at it. Encourage them when they make safe and healthy choices. When they don't, continue to work with them to figure out better steps they can take the next time.

Use a Feelings Thermometer

Using a feelings thermometer can help kids make the connection between their feelings and their coping skills. Here's how you can make an anger thermometer.

How to Make an Anger Thermometer:

Have the child pick out three colors, one for each section of the thermometer and color it in. Then talk about each section.

Ask what it looks like when they are just a little angry, at the bottom of the thermometer. Do they sigh loudly, growl, etc.?

Then move on to the middle section of the thermometer. If they are medium-sized angry, what does that look like? Does their voice get louder? Do they stomp their feet, etc.?

Finally, talk about what it looks like when they are experiencing big anger at the top of the thermometer. What does that look like? Is it yelling, throwing things, etc.?

It isn't always easy for kids to do this. If they are having a hard time identifying what the behaviors were, I tell them what I noticed the last time I saw them get angry. Or, if I haven't seen them angry, I'll give them a prompt to help them, like "When some kids get angry, they yell, is that something you do?"

Once we go through and identify behaviors on the thermometer, then we work on identifying coping skills they can use to calm down. Some examples include getting a drink of water, taking deep breaths, shredding paper, or taking a break.

Make sure they have coping skills that will help them at each level of anger. It's essential to have a variety of coping skills for each level because not all coping skills will work all the time. For some kids, taking a drink of water can help calm them down when they are just slightly angry. However, when they are furious, getting a drink of water won't help. They need to do something different at that point, like take a break.

When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang Poor Sophie has a hard time managing her anger when she has to share gorilla with her sister. It's a visually appealing book to show how big her feelings get and how it looks when she calms down again.

When I Feel Angry by Cornelia Maude Spelman This is part of "The Way I Feel" series. It explains how different things can make you angry, and that feeling angry is an expected part of life, but it's what you do when you're feeling that way that matters.

Cool Down and Work Through Anger by Cheri J. Meiners M.Ed. Another great book that talks about how anger affects your body and suggesting safe ways to express yourself.

Angry Octopus by Lori Lite and Max Stasuyk A great book that actually is a progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing script for kids. It's wonderful!

Don't Rant and Rave on Wednesdays by Adolph Moser It mentions the consequences of having unchecked anger, and acknowledges that adults struggle with this too. A large part of the book explains different strategies kids can use to express anger in a safe way, which I think is fantastic.

How to Take The Grrrr Out of Anger by Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis I love using this book for kids who are having a hard time managing being angry. I typically read one chapter at a time with the kids and work on some of the strategies listed in the book.

What to Do When Your Temper Flares by Dawn Huebner This book has lovely illustrations and goes through "anger dousing" methods.

Happiness Doesn't Come from Headstands by Tamara Levitt. This is a beautifully illustrated book all about growth mindset and resilience. Leela wants to do headstands and is getting frustrated, and believes the only way she can be happy is if she does headstands. With the help of a friend, she shifts her focus from what she can't do to what she can and focuses on the journey, not the singular goal is doing a headstand.

The Secret to Clara's Calm by Tamara Levitt. This is another beautifully illustrated book that demonstrates the power of mindfulness in managing big feelings. Clara has a bad temper and has big reactions to small problems, but then that leads to kids not wanting to be around her anymore. She works on learning how to be mindful and manage her big feelings with the help of a bird named Brodhi.

Chillax!: How Ernie Learns to Chill Out, Relax and Take Charge of His Anger by Marcella Marino Craver This is a graphic novel, perfect for the tween set.

It's common for parents to struggle with staying calm when their child is angry. As a mom, I know that's tough, especially when your child is having a difficult time. But it's important to learn to do it. You have to get yourself calm before you can help your child. One of the best ways to help your child is to make sure you stay calm yourself.

Use Self-Talk

Here are some phrases that may help you as you are working with your angry kid:

They're having a hard time, not giving me a hard time.

Share my calm, don't join their chaos.

I am in charge of staying calm, no matter how my child is acting and behaving.

All feelings are OK. My job is to help my kid manage them.

I can remain calm, and be a good example for my child.

Be the thermostat, not the thermometer.

TAKE Deep Breaths

If you're getting upset and about to blow up, try deep breathing. I know, it sounds hokey, but it makes a difference. When you are feeling overwhelmed, your body can go into fight, flight, or freeze mode, but in situations like these, you want to stay in rest and digest mode. By taking deep breaths, you're signaling your body to go back to rest and digest mode. Expand your belly as you inhale, and contract your belly as you exhale. Try taking several deep breaths before you take steps to intervene.

Use a grounding technique

If you're overwhelmed, sometimes it helps to do a grounding exercise to calm yourself down.

FIND your support system

Know that you are not alone. Read what this mom has to say about parenting an angry child. If you don't have a support system, then it's time to find one. Here are some ideas for both in person and online support groups to help you.
In Person Support:
There are lots of places you can get support in person. One resource I love is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They offer Family Support Groups, which meet regularly. They also offer a 12 week class for parents by parents, called Family to Family Support. Search for your local NAMI chapter here.

Having support for your child outside of your family can be a lifesaver. Talk to the school, teachers and coaches to help support your child during a difficult time. Sharing knowledge about what strategies work, and how you child responds in different environments is invaluable information.

You can also seek help from a licensed therapist to help support you. It's great to have someone to talk through the tough situations you are experiencing. If scheduling an in-person meeting is tough, you can see therapists online at sites like betterhelp.com. Some kids also benefit from seeing their own therapist. Read this to get a little more information about when you should seek outside help for your child.
Facebook Groups:
Did you know you can search for groups on Facebook to find others who are struggling with similar issues to yours? Here are some active Facebook Groups that have been helpful for families.
Note: You may need to apply to some of these groups in order to be added.
Support for Sensory Needs

Raising Poppies

Happy Sensitive Kids Community

Modern Parenting

The Neighborhood, Imperfect Families

The World's Okayest Parents
Coping Skills for Kids Group
As your son continues to stomp and growl, you take a few deep breaths and say to yourself "Be the thermostat, not the thermometer." Then, in a calm voice, you say to your son "I'm here to help. I love you."

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Inside: Kid-friendly coping skills used to help manage anger, including safe ways to express anger, books to read and videos that can help. This post contains affiliate links. Learn more. It's starting again, as usual, right after your son gets off the school bus.

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Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower: An Animation

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I feel like a broken record when I talk about deep breathing, because I talk about it A LOT. It's my #1 go-to power tool for managing stress, challenges, and difficult moments, because:

It's so simple to use

It's easy to teach to kids

It can be used anytime and anywhere

No one has to know you are using it

It's natural

It's free

And the list goes on...

And, more importantly, what about the benefits for the mind and body? That list goes on and on, too, but I've narrowed it down here to five that are really beneficial for kids, too. When you're done reading, you'll definitely want your child to become a deep breathing master. And don't worry, I'll show you how.

But first, let's take a quick walk through the science of deep breathing, and how it can benefit your kids. I want deep breathing to become your child's #1 power tool, too.

The Relaxation Response vs The Stress Response

I'm sure you can remember a time when you were upset and someone said to you, "Just take a deep breath." Well, there's a real biological reason for why deep breathing calms us down.

I don't want to get too detailed, but I want you to know that deep breathing causes biological changes in the body that help it to relax. Slow, deep abdominal breathing activates what's called the relaxation response. It's the mechanism that decreases the heart rate and the blood pressure, relaxes muscles, and calms the mind.

You see, when the stress response is activated by some kind of "stressor", it causes a number of changes in our body. These changes are associated with that fight or flight response that you've probably heard of. So, our heart rate increases, our muscles tense, and breathing becomes rapid and shallow. All of these biological changes make us stronger, faster, and more alert as our body prepares to face stress and danger.

These are probably the same feelings you and your kids feel in your body when you feel stressed out, anxious, or challenged by something.

Now, when the stress passes, the fight or flight response is suppose to quiet down and the relaxation response kicks on to bring the body back down. The heart rate slows, the blood pressure decreases, and breathing returns to normal.

So, deep breathing during a difficult moment or challenge can return the body and mind to a more peaceful state.

The Effects of Stress

Nowadays the stressor or danger doesn't always pass quickly. As adults, we experience more chronic stress like work, money, relationships, and health issues. And, even kids can experience chronic stress like bullies, challenging school work, and fitting in.

Below is a list from The Mayo Clinic of some of the effects that stress can have on our body, our mood, and our behavior.

Common effects of stress on your body

Common effects of stress on your mood

Anxiety

Restlessness

Lack of motivation or focus

Feeling overwhelmed

Irritability or anger

Sadness or depression

Common effects of stress on your behavior

Overeating or undereating

Angry outbursts

Drug or alcohol abuse

Tobacco use

Social withdrawal

Exercising less often

My #1 Power Tool for managing challenges and stress

So, I think most would agree that it's important to manage stress and challenges both in the moment and for the long term. AND, that it's just as important for kids to manage their stress, too. But, how do we turn off that stress response that our body turns on so quickly and naturally?

The good news is that there is a tool that gives you the power to turn off the stress response and activate the relaxation response to find peace anywhere and anytime.

And, I've already told you what it is. Yes, it's deep breathing.

Even The Mayo Clinic lists deep breathing as one tool to manage stress and Dr. Oz talks about deep belly breathing for "toxic worry".

So, let's talk about some deep breathing benefits for your kids.

5 Deep Breathing Benefits for Kids

By activating the relaxation response, deep breathing can promote these five benefits (and more) for your kids:

Calm an active body

Do your kids run around at warp speed while you get frustrated because yelling at them to stop doesn't work? You're not alone. I would plead with my kids to "Just calm down!" yet it would rarely work. Once I realized I had to teach them how to put the brake on and slow down, it got a whole lot easier. Any ideas what the brake was? Yes, deep breathing, of course!!

Settle anxiety

Anxiety can range from a mild, uneasy feeling to so severe that it's disabling. It brings worry to the mind and a whole list of physiological changes in the body, including increased heart rate, shallow breathing, and nausea to name a few. Deep breathing can activate the relaxation response and settle anxious feelings.

Balance big emotions

Balancing big emotions is yet another deep breathing benefit. So, when your kids are experiencing big feelings like anger, sadness, or frustration, a little deep breathing can put them back in control. Our emotions hijack our logical brain, but deep breathing can calm the emotions, so your child can make a better choice in the moment.

Promote better sleep

A few deep breaths at bedtime or nap time can relax the body and settle the mind for a calm, peaceful bedtime routine and restful sleep. I think you might like this bedtime poem.

Tame the tantrum

Not only does deep breathing help to manage difficult moments, but you'll find with regular practice, that difficult moments like tantrums are less frequent and less extreme. Yay to that!!

So, when your kids are consumed by anxiety, big emotions, or unlimited amounts of energy, why not put them in control of this big energy and give them a tool to power down? Don't worry- I'm going to show you how, step by step, for your success.

4 Part - Deep Breathing Series

I've put together a Four Part, Deep Breathing Series AND I'll finish it off with a 5 Day Deep Breathing Challenge, so you'll learn everything you need to know to get your kids started with deep breathing.

You just read Part 1 of the series all about how deep breathing works and its benefits. In part 2, you'll discover HOW to deep breathe in three simple steps. And, it really gets FUN in part 3, where I share five variations of deep breathing to make everyday practice exciting.

And, everyday practice is essential for the best results. Practice not only helps your child perfect their deep breathing technique, but the repetition keeps it top of mind for when they need it in a difficult moment.

So, with your success in mind, I created the Deep Breathing Challenge and added it as Part 4 of this series, so it's fun and easy for your class to practice, practice, practice.

When you're ready, head over to Part 2 where you'll learn the three simple steps to teach deep breathing to your kids. And, you'll discover how to make it fun and easy for them, too.

THE NEXT STEP

Head over to Part 2- Three Simple Steps for Peaceful Kids

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Five Deep Breathing Benefits for Your Kids (and for you, too)

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I feel like a broken record when I talk about deep breathing, because I talk about it A LOT. It's my #1 go-to power tool for managing stress, challenges, and difficult moments, because: It's so simple to use It's easy to teach to kids It can be used anytime and anywhere No one has to know you are using it It's natural It's free And the list goes on...

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This page contains affiliate links, read the disclosure statement Inside: Kid tested strategies used by child therapists for calming anxiety, including ideas to calm down, books to read and videos that can help
It's happening again. Your daughter is frustrated and stomping away down to her room, slamming the door and in general "has her cranky pants on". You say calm down, but she yells back "I don't know how to do that!!!"

We tend to tell our kids to "calm down" without ever giving them explicit directions on how to deal with stress and anxiety. Here's a collection of the best tools and tips I've found to teach children how to calm down and relax.

Sometimes you'll need a quick way to help your child calm down and you don't have much with you. Maybe it's when you're out at Target or stuck in traffic. These tips will come in handy at those times:

Imagine your favorite place - it's like taking a mini vacation wherever you are

Think of your favorite things

Name animals alphabetically (alligator, bear, cow, dog, etc...)

Squeeze Something (play dough, clay, silly putty, your fists, a stress ball)

Get a Cold Drink of Water

54321 Grounding - go through each of your 5 senses

1. Put your arms straight out in front of you, palms facing out.

2. Put one hand over the other at the wrists and interlace your fingers.

3. Swoop your hands and arms toward your body and then place your interlaced hands on your chest.

4. Cross your feet at the ankles and put your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

5. Stay still for one minute.

It's great to have a big list of coping skills to try when your child needs to calm down. Here are two more short lists of ideas for calming down at home or at school.

From Imperfect Families - Strategies to use at home

From Encourage Play - 10 Strategies to Help Kids Calm Down at school or home

People usually roll their eyes initially when they hear "breathing is important". But I will continue to say it and explain why. It's so simple, yet has such a big impact on your body's physiology.

When you and calm and relaxed, your body is in "rest and digest" mode. You breathe normally, your heart rate is lower and your muscles are relaxed. However, when stress or anxiety or anger occurs, your body automatically switches into "flight, fight or freeze" mode. Your muscles tense up, your heart rate increases and your breathing becomes more shallow.

Taking deep breaths, instead of shallow breaths, is one way to tell your body to get back to resting and digesting. That's why deep breathing is important!

Luckily, there are some fun ways to teach kids deep breathing techniques

Things to use

Things to say

Breathe in like you are smelling a flower, breathe out like you are blowing out birthday candles

Arms up and breathe in, arms down and breathe out

Pretend your belly is a balloon. Breathe in and make the balloon bigger, then breathe out and make the balloon shrink.

Videos to watch
4 - 7 - 8 Breathing by GoZen
Breathing at Sea Otter Cove from Stress Free Kids

A Coping Skills Toolbox is a kit that you create to help your child calm down when they are upset, anxious or worried. In order to get the most benefit from this, you should create this kit before an issue occurs. When your child experiences anxiety, then they can pick out an item from their Coping Skills Toolbox. This is one of my favorite ways to help kids learn to calm their anxiety.

Here are some other fantastic ideas for what to put in a coping skills toolbox/calm down kit from And Next Comes L

You can create a place specially designed to allow to calm down in a few steps

Find a spot and make it cozy (ask your child for help with that - maybe they can place a favorite blanket or stuffed animal inside)

Add calming tools

Explain how to use it and practice before

When they are starting to escalate, catch it early and give them a calm reminder about their calm down spot

Use the following phrases as a way to support your child, let them know that you're going to support them and help them in any way that you can.

"I'm here for you"

"Talk to me and tell me what's going on"

"How can I help?"

"Together, we can work on this. We're a great team"

"I love you"

"Do you want a hug?"

Here are some more ideas of what to say to calm an anxious child.

From Go Zen - 49 Phrases to Calm an Anxious Child

From Lemon Lime Adventures - What to Say to Calm an Anxious Child

Did you know there are podcasts with stories for children? Usually the hosts have a soothing voice and the stories tend to be pretty short. Your child can listen to these podcasts as a way to have some down time.

There are scripts you can read to your child to help them relax and calm down. Slowly and carefully read the words as your child listens and follows the instructions. Check out Inner Health Studios list of scripts you can use with your child. If you prefer not to read a script, there are ones that are pre-recorded.

There are also scripts to practice mindfulness with children. Eline Snel has written a great book on Mindfulness with Kids, Sitting Still Like a Frog. Here are the several scripts that can be used from that book!

Annaka Harris also has several pre-recorded scripts to help kids practice mindfulness

Confused about how to introduce mindfulness to kids? Check out these resources:
Simple Ways to Introduce Mindfulness and Meditation to Children 11 Simple But Effective Ways to Teach Mindfulness to Kids
What you need:

I've used empty soda bottles, empty water bottles, glass jars and plastic containers. Use whatever makes sense for you and your family. For instance, for the calming jars the kids have in their room, I used a heavy duty plastic bottle. I didn't want them to accidentally knock over a glass jar in the dark - that would be a huge mess!

I've had the best results when I've used warm water - it makes it easier for the water and paint to combine.
Glitter Paint
I prefer using glitter paint (or glitter glue) instead of glitter because then I'm not cleaning up glitter for weeks at my house after we make them :-)

To make your jar, add glitter paint to the bottom of the jar until it just covers the bottom of it. Add warm water. Put the cover on and shake to help the ingredients combine. Once you are satisfied with the look of your jar, then you can super glue the lid shut so it doesn't spill. In a pinch, I've also used duct tape to secure the lid.
Watch Make a Simple Calming Jar from Coping Skills for Kids on YouTube Wet Ingredients
Sometimes you want the glitter/other items to stay afloat longer or for a shorter amount of time. Here are some different ingredients you can use as the wet ingredients.
Dry Ingredients
To see several other ways to make calming jars, take a look at what Preschool Inspirations did.

One of the first things I always like to do with kids if they are struggling is to start using visuals. When you're stressed and anxious, it's harder to read and take in information. Visuals are easier.

I like to keep calming cue cards in my children's coping skills toolboxes so that they can make a decision about what coping skill they can use. Sometimes pulling out a list is too much in the moment. You can make your own cue cards.

1. Take several index cards or small pieces of cardstock

2. On each one, write or draw one coping skill

3. Hole punch the cards and place them on a keyring (to make them extra sturdy, you can laminate them)

4. Put them into the coping skills toolbox for easy access

Using visuals is a powerful way to help kids. When kids are overwhelmed, sometimes it's hard for them to figure out what to do. By having cue cards, your child can have a visual reminder of what calms and relaxes them.

To make things a little easier, I've created ready to use coping skills cue cardsfor you. There are four different sets: Calming, Physical, Distracting, and Processing. If you'd like all 4, I created a set where you can download them all together.

If your child is anxious, they may also be having a difficult time getting settled for bedtime. Here are some ideas to help your child get settled at bedtime.

PINPOINT WHAT THE FEAR IS

One of the most important things to do is to figure out exactly what is causing the anxiety. Is it fear of the dark? Is it a worry about something in the closet? Is it monsters? Is it spiders? Figuring out the cause of the fear will help you come up with ways you can help your child combat it.

REARRANGE THE ROOM

Are there particular spots of the room that seem to be darker or cause more fear at night than others? Go into the bedroom during the day with your child and talk about the spots that make your child nervous. Try moving night lights and furniture around for a more calming room arrangement.

TRANSITIONAL OBJECTS

If your child has a hard time separating from you, try a transitional object. This is a special item that helps your child feel comforted. It helps them feel like part of you is still present even when you're not there. It could be something like a stuffed animal or a special stone or necklace, or a sweatshirt of yours. The object isn't what matters, it's what the object represents. They can keep it and hold it all night long to help them relax and go to sleep.

Find more strategies here: 12 Kid Friendly Strategies to Calm Anxiety at Night

Looking for some calming guided meditation to help get to sleep at night? Try one of these: Best Guided Meditations for Sleep.

Whenever I sit down and talk with someone about their coping skills, one of the first
things I ask is if they have tried writing about it. Why do I always start with journaling as
a way of processing through difficult feelings?

It's easier to write about than talk about hard things

Journaling helps you process what's happening.

It's convenient.

It's not graded

It can help you solve a problem

It can help you re-frame your thinking

Looking for a journal for a child or teen? Check out Big Life Journals!

General Anxiety

The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook by Janine Halloran. This book has over 75 strategies for kids to try to help them manage their stress and worry. This book also includes colorful worksheets to help kids learn more about their anxiety and what they can do to manage their stress.

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook I love that when Wilma Jean's physical reactions are described, they're also illustrated. When is says she has knots in her stomach and her knees lock, her stomach really looks like it's tied in a knot and there's a real lock around her knees. I love the activity she does with her teacher, going over worries she can control and worries she can't, it's a great way to help kids manage their anxiety.

David and the Worry Beast by Anne Marie Guanci David's anxiety is a beast, and the more anxious he gets, the bigger it grows. David learns to control his thoughts, and his beast shrinks. There's also a couple of pages for parents and kids in the back.

When My Worries Get Too Big by Kari Dunn Buron This book is wonderful! There are several pages where kids can add in their own thoughts, worries and what helps them relax. This book also uses the 5 point scale to talk about stress and different ways to manage it.

What To Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner, PhD This book goes through several ways that can help kids manage anxiety, including setting a time for worries, thinking about things that make you happy and resetting your body with activity or relaxation. There are some interactive places in this book, where a child can write down their worries, draw some images of things that might help, etc.

What To Do When You're Scared and Worried by James J. Crist This is one of my favorite books for kids to help them deal with anxiety. Near the beginning of the book is a checklist that helps kids narrow down what they are anxious about. The beginning of the book covers the basics of what anxiety is and how to help manage with coping skills. The next section of the book goes into detail about different types of anxiety kids might experience, including Separation Anxiety, Phobias and Panic Attacks.

Separation Anxiety

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn Classic about managing separation anxiety when kids start school. My daughter's kindergarten teacher read this on our visit to school the first day.

When I miss you by Cornelia Maude Spelman This is perfect for little ones who have a hard time dealing with the fact that they are away from their parents during the day. It suggests a couple of things they can do to help and reassurance that parents will come back at the end of the day.

Wemberley Worried by Kevin Henkes Poor Wemberley worries about everything, and then she gets really worried when she is about to start school.

This E-Course offers you instant support from a Child Therapist.
You will get:
12 Videos that are quick and bite size

14 Exercises that will expand on the skills taught

6 Cheat Sheets that will serve as a reference
Along with the course you get:
Access to the instructor for ongoing support

Downloadable PDF versions of all lessons

Lifetime access to the course

More from Coping Skills for Kids about Anxiety in Children...

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Calming Anxiety - Coping Skills for Kids

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Inside: Kid tested strategies used by child therapists for calming anxiety, including ideas to calm down, books to read and videos that can help

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We're on to Part 3 of the Deep Breathing Series today where I'm going to share with you five, fun breathing exercises for kids. These variations on deep breathing provide variety and make it fun for your kids to practice. If your just joining and you missed the first two parts, check them out first.
Part 1 - 5 Deep Breathing Benefits for Kids Part 2 - 3 Simple Steps for Peaceful Kids, Naturally
Now, let's dive right into it.

Five Fun Breathing Exercises for Kids

#1 CALMING COCOA
A fun go-to technique that kids love.
To practice Calming Cocoa, curl the four fingers on one hand to meet the thumb like you are forming a cup. Keep the other hand flat like a saucer and place your cup-hand on your saucer-hand. Now smell all of the chocolatey goodness of the cocoa in the cup as you take a deep breath in and then cool the hot, steamy cocoa as you breathe out with tightened lips.

#2 WOODCHOPPER
Woodchopper is good for times when your child is feeling angry. It provides a healthy way to release the angry energy that won't get your child or anyone else hurt.
Start by standing tall, legs open wide, and knees bend slightly. Lace your fingers together behind your back. Bend forward at the waist into a forward fold and let your arms come forward over the back of your head, gently. Letting out a "CHOP" or "AHHH" or some other kind of vocalization will also help move some of the energy out.

#3 WHALE
Whale is good for energetic kids because it combines deep breathing with movement to release energy from the body.
Stand tall, feet slightly apart, and knees slightly bent. Bring your hands to your heart. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, move your hands up together over your head and open them up like water being blown from the top of your head. Bring your arms down to each side and then your hands back to your heart.

#4 TWEETY BIRD
Tweety Bird is my go to breathing technique for sadness. It combines the calming, good feelings from breathing with a great big soothing hug.
You can either come up high onto your knees or sit back with your bottom on your feet. Stretch your arms out wide to each side. Then bend your elbows and wrap your arms around your front grabbing the opposite shoulders with your hands, just like a great big hug for yourself. You can open and close your elbows like a tweety bird singing you a soothing song. Take your three deep breaths.

#5 MANTRA
A mantra is a word or sound that you can combine with your breathing to get rid of anxiety and invite in another feeling.
Get comfortable in a calm environment. You can lie down or sit criss-cross applesauce. Take a few deep breaths to settle in and then breath normally. Repeat the words or mantra with each normal breath. Here are some examples of mantras you can use for anxiety or of course, your child can make their own.

So there you have it. Five fun, deep breathing exercises for kids to practice and become deep breathing masters. And when your kids are deep breathing masters, you get to enjoy some peace and calm. It's a win for everyone.

Breathe in Threes

Whether I am deep breathing myself or teaching kids, we always breathe in threes. So, when you pick a breathing exercise to practice, breathe for one round of three breaths.

It's probably fine to stop at one round of three breaths for practice, but if your child is experiencing a difficult moment, they may need more rounds.

If your child is having a difficult moment, it helps to rate the feeling from one to ten or from very peaceful to not at all peaceful before you start breathing. So, if your child is feeling a big emotion, ask if they can rate the intensity of the feeling. Do one round of breathing, and then check back in and rate the intensity again. Keep repeating until your child is comfortable again.

Sometimes your kids might be too wrapped up in emotion to be able to rate the intensity. It's ok. If you practice deep breathing regularly, you'll find that big emotional energy will build less frequently and will become less intense.

I created some printables for you so you can record info about your child's deep breathing practice. The rating system is included on the daily tracker printable. You can grab it when you sign up for the free Five Day Deep Breathing Challenge.

The 5 Day Deep Breathing Challenge

The 5 Day Deep Breathing Challenge is the next step. I created the challenge to help you pull together everything you learned in the Deep Breathing Series and establish a plan for practice.

Now, I'm going to be honest here. Deep breathing IS NOT going to give you the results you want, unless you practice with your kids every day.

But when you do practice, you'll see amazing results. Practice will help your kids:

perfect their deep breathing technique

remember to use deep breathing in a difficult moment

lessen the intensity and frequency of meltdowns and tantrums

feel more calm and peaceful in general

So, set yourself and your kids up for success with a practice plan that is fun and fits right into your busy schedule. I've made it easy for you with The Deep Breathing Challenge.

When you sign up for the challenge and use the Deep Breathing Journal, your perfect practice plan will magically appear by the end of the five days.

here's what's next:

Head over to Part 4- The Deep Breathing Challenge.

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Deep Breathing Series Part 3- Five Fun Breathing Exercises for Kids | Dawn Selander

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We're on to Part 3 of the Deep Breathing Series today where I'm going to share with you five, fun breathing exercises for kids. These variations on deep breathing provide variety and make it fun for your kids to practice. If your just joining and you missed the first two parts, check them out first.

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To give people ideas of ways they can play, and places they can go online to play and connect with others, I wrote a blog post over on Encourage Play with awesome play ideas for families at home. I'm going to continue to update it as I find new helpful online resources.

"Play and unscheduled downtime are central to our emotional well-being throughout our lives." - Play = Learning
edited by Dorothy G. Singer, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

Do some Movement

People always talk about exercise as a central pillar of mental health. Why? First of all, the human body is fantastic. It allows you to think, move, and interact with the world. It allows you to express yourself. How your body feels can have an impact on how you are emotionally feeling.

Exercise releases chemicals called endorphins. These "feel-good chemicals" trigger positive feelings in your brain. So by releasing endorphins, you are tapping into a natural way to improve your state of mind. After a long run or an exercise class, your body might be tired, but your endorphins are running high. You don't have to run a 5k to get it, either. Any type of movement will do this.

You can take a walk around your neighborhood while you practice social distancing. You can do some stretches at your house. You can do a GoNoodle indoor recess video. You can play video games that involve moving like Just Dance or Arms. Keep yourself active even during this time.
Before you start any exercise routine, please check with your doctor to get recommendations about what to do and what to avoid, based on your own body and medical needs.
Practice gratitude

There's a lot of research around gratitude, which shows that being grateful can improve psychological health, reduce toxic emotions, and increase empathy.

You can take a few minutes and write down a few things you are thankful for. If you find it challenging at first, focus on just 2 or 3 things. It doesn't have to be significant. It could be that you're grateful for how the sun feels on your skin, or that your friend makes you laugh, or that your mom made your favorite breakfast.

Or it could be big things like you're grateful for your family, people who love you, or your support system. You can write them on a slip of paper and put them in a jar. That way, you can physically see them all. Or you could take strips of paper and make a paper chain of gratitude that you hang in your room. Or you can write it in a journal.

The coping skills I shared earlier are ones that you can do too. There's a lot on you now. Constant caregiving is a challenge on good days. This is a tough, exhausting time. For you, figuring out self-care strategies when you are surrounded by others is a challenge. But here are some ideas that may help you:

Talk to other adults about how you're feeling

You may be having a ton of emotions and thoughts about this whole situation. You may be worried about your parents or grandparents, or concerned about someone in your life with a compromised immune system. Please talk to someone. Call or text your friends. If you don't have anyone at your home, there are online communities you can join. There are Facebook groups for everything. Here are some of my favorite online parenting communities.

AT Parenting Community with Natasha Daniels, LCSW, Child Therapist & Author - specifically for parents of kids with anxiety and OCD

We Turned Out Okay Parent Coaching Community with Karen Lock Kolp, MEd - especially for parents of little kids

Growing Up Confident Community with Kim Lange, Child & Adolescent Therapist - Focused on the emotional lives of children.

The Neighborhood at Imperfect Families from Nicole Schwarz, Parent Coach and LMFT focused on a positive parenting approach.

The Village from Happily Family - Run by Cecilia & Jason Hilkey with a focus on mindful parenting.

Take a quick walk or go outside for a few moments if you can

If you can just take a moment for yourself, because that's all you have, do it. Take a few deep breaths. If you have a partner, try to tag team, and make sure you each get breaks. If you don't, put on a new show for your kids and have tea in the other room for a moment. Here's a great post about self-care for people who don't have time for self-care.

I'm having Nutella & wine, what are you going to have?

As for me, I'm also going to indulge a little bit. I made chocolate chip muffins the other day, and they were terrific! I'm supporting my local wine store by ordering delivery. I have some of my favorite treats in the house, like Nutella, of course. And my husband got ice cream. We're not going to go crazy and eat dessert for dinner all the time. But it will happen 🙂

I've been collecting great resources from my colleagues who are recording videos and sharing their thoughts and strategies on coping with COVID-19. I will continue to update this list as I find more things.
How To Cope with Anxiety about Coronavirus
VIDEO Natasha Daniels: What is the Coronavirus for Kids and Teens and here are some more resources from Natasha (scroll down to see them).

VIDEO Renee Jain and Laura Markham talking about Coronavirus

Tina Payne Bryson about talking to children about coronavirus

Talking to kids with Anxiety & ADHD about Coronavirus from Additudemag
Foldable comic about Coronavirus for kids Social Story for Kids about Coronavirus
Resources for Supporting Families During the Coronavirus from the Child Mind Institute

SOME Resources from Coping Skills for Kids

Right now, I'm offering my Coping Skills Family Activity e-book for 50% off

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Coping with Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Coping Skills for Kids

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To give people ideas of ways they can play, and places they can go online to play and connect with others, I wrote a blog post over on Encourage Play with awesome play ideas for families at home. I'm going to continue to update it as I find new helpful online resources.

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Inside: A child therapist's favorite ways to help kids learn to take a deep breath, including quick explanations and videos of deep breathing techniques.
Have you ever told a kid to take a deep breath, and then they start hyperventilating? Or they breathe in, but don't breathe out?
Sometimes, kids may need a little more help to figure out how to properly take a deep breath.
First, let's review why deep breathing matters.

When you are calm, your body is in what is known as "rest and digest" mode. Your breathing is normal, your muscles are relaxed, and your heart rate is normal. It's how you would be when you're watching a show and relaxing.

But then suddenly, a dinosaur is chasing you!!

When you experience a stressful event (like an unexpected dinosaur in your living room), your body automatically goes into what is known as "flight, fight or freeze" mode. Your heart rate increases, your stomach stops digestion, and your breathing becomes more shallow.

The goal of calming exercises is to get yourself from "flight, fight or freeze" mode back to "rest and digest" mode. Deep breathing helps get more oxygen into your bloodstream, opening up your capillaries. It has a physical effect on your body to help you calm down and lower stress.

So deep breathing does make a big difference for kids. But how can we teach them to take a deep breath properly?
Here are some of my favorite ways to introduce deep breathing! Quick note: The breathing we want kids to do is deep belly breaths, not shallow chest breaths. When they breathe in, their belly should expand, and when they breathe out, their belly should contract.
Use bubbles

Blowing gently to create bubbles is a good way to be playful and breathe deeply. Kids have to blow carefully and slowly to make the bubbles, which is a major reason why I like using it to help kids take deep breaths.

Use a stuffed animal to practice deep breathing

Have your child lay down on their back and put a stuffed animal on their belly. Have them breathe in and move the stuffed animal up, then breathe out and bring the stuffed animal back down. This helps teach kids to use their belly to take big deep breaths. Another alternative is to use a weighted stuffed animal.

Use a pinwheel

Kids can practice breathing out slowly or more quickly, using the speed of the pinwheel as a measure. Then they can figure out which way works and feels best for them.

Use a Feather

Get some colored feathers and pick out one feather to use. It could be a color that they love or one that makes them feel calm. Breathe in and hold it for a count of 3, then breathe out going up on one side of the feather and down the other side.

Hoberman Sphere

Breathe in and expand the sphere, breathe out and push the sphere back in (this mirrors what should be happening to their belly) - Watch the video on YouTube!

DIY Crafts

Make a craft using half a paper plate, crepe paper or ribbons. Have kids blow the crepe paper or ribbons as they take deep breaths.

Materials Needed:

1. Paper plate - cut in half
2. crepe paper - cut into 6" - 8" strips, cut in half
3. yarn or string
4. any other embellishments to make the creature (use what you have on hand)

Attach the crepe paper to the flat bottom of the paper plate. Attach yarn/string to the top center of the curved part of the paper plate as a hanger.Have kids decorate the paper plate any way they want, as a monster, or a creature, or with stickers.

To Use: hang up the creature and have kids blow on the crepe paper to get it to move.

OTHER DIY ACTIVITIES
Floating Ball Activity from All For The Boys Fire Breathing Dragon Craft by BABYCCINO
TRIANGLE Breathing

Start at the bottom left of the triangle.

Breathe in for three counts as you trace the first side of the triangle.

Hold your breath for three counts as you trace the second side of the triangle.

Breathe out for three counts as you trace the final side of the triangle. You have just completed one deep breath.

SQUARE BReathing

Start at the bottom right of the square

Breathe in for four counts as you trace the first side of the square

Hold your breath for four counts as you trace the second side of the square

Breathe out for four counts as you trace the third side of the square

Hold your breath for four counts as you trace the final side of the square

You just completed one deep breath!

STAR BREATHING

Start at any "Breathe In" side on the star.

Trace your finger over the "breathe in" side of the point

Hold your breath when your finger gets to the tip of the point

Breathe out as you trace your finger over the other side of the point.

Keep going until you reach where you started.

When you trace the whole star, you will have completed 5 deep breaths

Start with the eight on its side and start in the middle

Go up to the left and trace the left part of the 8 with your finger while you breathe in.

When you get to the middle of the eight again, breathe out while you trace the right part of the 8 with your finger.

6 Sided Breathing

Start at the left hand side of the hexagon.

Trace your finger over the "breathe in" side as you take a deep breath in.

Hold your breath as you trace the second side of the hexagon.

Breathe out as you trace the third side of the hexagon.

Then repeat for the bottom part of the hexagon.

Breathe in like a flower, breathe out like you are blowing out birthday candles.

Breathe in blue sky, Breathe out gray skies.

Pretend your belly is like a balloon. Breathe in and make the balloon bigger, then breathe out and make the balloon shrink.

Smell the soup, cool the soup or smell the hot cocoa, cool the hot cocoa

Darth Vader Breathing - Pretend you have a straw in your mouth, suck in through the straw and breathe in. Breathe out like Darth Vader.

Ocean Breathing - breathe in and imagine the wave rolling in, breathe out and imagine the wave rolling out.

Color breathing - Breathe in and imagine a calm, happy, positive color. Breathe out and imagine a color that represents stress, anxiety, etc. leaving your body.

Soft Belly - Say to yourself "soft" as you breathe in and "belly" as you breathe out.

Whale breath

Sitting criss-cross applesauce, sit up tall and take a deep breathe in, Hold it while you count to 5 with your fingers then tilt head up to blow it out of blowhole. You can also put your hands up on top of head to create the blow hole to "blow" out.

Snake Breath

Breathe in, pause briefly, then breathe out slowly while you make a hissing sound for as long as you can.

Bunny Breath

You can do this breathing either while sitting, or add movement to it.

Sitting version - make "bunny" hands in front of chest and take quick sniffs like a bunny.

Movement version - start in a squat and hop forward while taking quick bunny sniffs.

Bumblebee Breath

Breathe in and pretend you are smelling a flower. As you breathe out, make humming bee sound. Try different ways of making the sound - longer or shorter, high or low sounds.

5 - 5 - 10 breathing

Breathe in for 5, hold for 5 and breathe out for 10.

7-11 breathing

Breathe in for 7, exhale for 11.

Count to 10

Using Your Hand to Take a Deep Breath aka Mountain Breathing

Put up one hand, palm facing out and fingers spread apart. Place the index finger of your other hand at the base of your thumb and breathe in while you move your finger up one side of your thumb. Move your finger down the other side of your thumb and breathe out. Do the same thing with the remaining four fingers, and take deep breaths in and out as you move your finger. After you've reached the second side of your pinky finger, you'll have done 5 complete deep breaths.

You can also do this with a close friend or trusted adult. Have them spread their hand out and use your finger to trace their hand and do deep breaths. Or do the opposite: spread your hand out and have them use their finger and trace yours. You can do deep breaths together!

Hands to Shoulders

Sometimes you breathe from your chest instead of your belly, but it's hard to notice. This is an easy way to figure out if you are moving your chest or your belly when you're breathing. While sitting or standing, put your hands down by your sides. Then bend your arms at your elbows and place them on the front of your shoulders. Try taking a deep breath. If your shoulders are moving a lot, focus more on taking breaths using your belly.

Rainbow breathing

Arms start at the side of your body; arms go up as you breathe in and go down as you breathe out (arms make a rainbow) - Watch the video on Youtube!

Volcano Breaths

Pretend your hands and arms are like lava flowing from a volcano. Start with your hands in front of your heart, with palms touching. Keeping your hands together, reach straight up and breathe in. Separate your hands and move your arms down to your side and breathe out.

Explosion Breaths

Start in a standing position. Breathe in as you crouch down. Then, jump up, spreading your arms and legs as you breathe out.

Nostril Breathing/Cowabunga Breathing

Block one nostril, breathe in for 5, block the other nostril, breathe out for 5.

Wood Chopper Breathing

Standing tall with legs hip distance apart. Clasp hands together and raise your arms above your head. Breathe in through nose. Exhale and pull your hands down toward your legs as you say "HA" to "chop" wood
Mindful Arts in the Classroom Breathing Cards Sesame Street Belly Breathe Video

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Deep Breathing Exercises for Kids - Coping Skills for Kids

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Inside: A child therapist's favorite ways to help kids learn to take a deep breath, including quick explanations and videos of deep breathing techniques. Have you ever told a kid to take a deep breath, and then they start hyperventilating? Or they breathe in, but don't breathe out?

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This page contains affiliate links. To learn more, visit our disclosure page.
This is a collection of the best books for children to teach them how to deal with complex emotions. Also, there are highly recommended books for parents to support their children and help them understand their feelings and figuring out healthy strategies to use on a daily basis.

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Helpful Books for Kids and Families - Coping Skills for Kids

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This page contains affiliate links. To learn more, visit our disclosure page. This is a collection of the best books for children to teach them how to deal with complex emotions. Also, there are highly recommended books for parents to support their children and help them understand their feelings and figuring out healthy strategies to use on a daily basis.

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Susan Verde believes every child's experience is valid and unique and every child should be seen and celebrated. Her books tell tales of magical museum visits, serendipitous friendships, caring for the environment and more. They help readers cultivate empathy and compassion towards themselves and others. Her books are used world-wide to support the work of teachers, librarians and schools with their mindfulness, yoga and SEL programs. Parents and others caring for children can find many tools for self-regulation, self-care and lots of fun in Susan's stories. She regularly keynotes and visits schools in-person and virtually nationwide to talk about a variety of topics including the writing process, mindfulness, kids yoga and the importance of loving yourself in order to care for others. For info about her visits click here.

I Am Courage: A Book of Resilience
Release date September 7, 2021
When we picture someone brave, we might think they're fearless but real courage comes from feeling scared and facing what challenges us anyway. When our minds tell us "I can't," we can look inside ourselves and find the strength to say, "Yes, I CAN!"

From the New York Times bestselling team behind the I Am series comes a triumphant celebration of everyday courage: believing in ourselves, speaking out, trying new things, asking for help, and getting back up no matter how many times we may fall. Grounded in mindfulness and awareness, I Am Courage is an empowering reminder that we can conquer anything.

Available for pre-order:

I Am One: A Book of Action
Release date September 15, 2020 The fifth book in Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds's #1 bestselling mindfulness series
One seed to start a garden, one note to start a melody, one brick to start breaking down walls: Every movement and moment of change starts with just one. From the #1 New York Times-bestselling team behind I Am Yoga, I Am Peace, I Am Human, and I Am Love comes a powerful call to action, encouraging readers to raise their voices, extend a hand, and take that one first step to start something beautiful and move toward a better world. Includes a guided meditation and self‑reflection activity.

I Am Love: A Book of Compassion

The instant New York Times bestseller!

Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds continue their collaboration with the fourth book in their bestselling wellness series. A celebration of love in all its forms, I Am Love asks readers to look inward when they feel afraid. Love allows us to act with compassion and kindness, to live with gratitude, and to take care of ourselves by practicing self-love.

I Am Human: A Book of Empathy
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller!
From the picture book dream team behind I Am Yoga and I Am Peace comes the third book in their wellness series: I Am Human. A hopeful meditation on all the great (and challenging) parts of being human, I Am Human shows that it's okay to make mistakes while also emphasizing the power of good choices by offering a kind word or smile or by saying "I'm sorry." At its heart, this picture book is a celebration of empathy and compassion that lifts up the flawed fullness of humanity and encourages children to see themselves as part of one big imperfect family-millions strong.

I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness

When the world feels chaotic, find peace within through an accessible mindfulness practice from the bestselling picture-book dream team that brought us I Am Yoga. Express emotions through direct speech. Find empathy through imagination. Connect with the earth. Wonder at the beauty of the natural world. Breathe, taste, smell, touch, and be present.

I am Yoga

The companion to the instant #1 New York Times bestseller, I Am Human!

An eagle soaring among the clouds, a star twinkling in the night sky, a camel in the desert, or a boat sailing across the sea . . . Yoga has the power of transformation. Not only does it strengthen bodies and calm minds, but with a little imagination, it can show us that anything is possible. New York Times bestselling illustrator Peter H. Reynolds teams up with author and certified Yoga instructor Susan Verde in this book about creativity and the power of self-expression. I Am Yoga encourages children to explore the world of Yoga and make room in their hearts for the world beyond it.

I Am . . . A Box of Goodness (I Am books box series)

Enjoy I am Yoga, I am Peace and I am Human books all in one box set!

The Three Little Yogis and the Wolf Who Lost His Breath: A Fairy Tale to Help You Feel Better

A calming spin on a classic fairy tale from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Verde

Once upon a time there lived a wolf who lost his huff and his puff. It was a BIG, BAD problem! One morning, the wolf came upon a peaceful little yogi doing sun salutations. The wolf wanted to huff and puff and blooow her hut down into a big pile of straw. But instead the yogi suggested, "Let's meditate on that!"

The Tossy-Turny Princess And The Pesky Pea
A Fairy Tale to Help You Fall Asleep (Feel-Good Fairy Tales) A bedtime fractured fairy tale to help the most restless of little ones fall asleep, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Verde!
Once upon a time there lived a very busy princess who never had trouble falling asleep. Until one night, when a pesky pea changed all that!

Without sleep, the princess feels cranky, and clumsy, and filled with worry that she'll never sleep again. Will this tossy-turny princess ever be able to calm her mind, relax her body, and finally get some rest?

You and Me

You and Me is a loving tribute to how fate brought together two best friends forever. An adorable cat muses about the what-ifs in life: What if he had slept late that one special morning? What if he'd missed his train on that fateful day? Then he might never have met his favorite person in the world, and his entire life would be different!

Two friends delight in the incredible power of serendipity in this charming tale. Illustrated by the bestselling Peter H. Reynolds, You and Me is the ultimate gift for the closest of friends on Valentine's Day or any day of the year.

The Water Princess

With its wide sky and warm earth, Princess Gie Gie's kingdom is a beautiful land. But clean drinking water is scarce in her small African village. And try as she might, Gie Gie cannot bring the water closer; she cannot make it run clearer. Every morning, she rises before the sun to make the long journey to the well. This book received a Starred Kirkus Review and won the ALA Award for Notable Children's Book in 2017.

If you want to find about the real Water Princess and how to help bring water to those in need in Burkina Faso please visit georgiebadielfoundation.org.

A portion of proceeds also support's Ryan's Well, which you can learn more about at www.ryanswell.ca.

My Kicks: A Sneaker Story!

Boys love sneakers. But when a child finds that his toes have outgrown his favorite shoes, and they've gotten too dirty and smelly, his mom says it's time for a new pair. Resistant to let go, the boy reminisces about all the good times he's had with his favorite kicks on the city streets.

Rock 'n' Roll Soul

With the school talent show coming up, a young music lover spends most of her time daydreaming about the perfect act. She notices the sounds around her, like the brrrrring of the school bell or the rappa-tappa-tap of rain on the windowpane. But the talent show is the place to reveal her own voice. Will she mix up some hip-hop beats? Will she command an orchestra of dozens, bringing the classics to life? Or, will she go electric, Jimi Hendrix style? Marching out on the talent show stage to the beat of her own drum, this sweet and sassy musician ultimately chooses to be herself and sing her own song loud and proud, "I've got a rock 'n' roll soul!"

Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community

One creative boy.
One bare, abandoned wall.
One BIG idea.

There is a wall in Ángel's neighborhood. Around it, the community bustles with life: music, dancing, laughing. Not the wall. It is bleak. One boy decides to change that. But he can't do it alone.

Told in elegant verse by Susan Verde and vibrantly illustrated by John Parra, this inspiring picture book celebrates the power of art to tell a story and bring a community together.

Unstoppable Me

I am movement
Heat
Static electricity
Fueled by food
And powered by PLAY!

Unstoppable Me is about the sort of energetic child we all know and love ― full of fun and play...and a bit exhausting! In this book, we see an unstoppable little boy, run, jump, and soar through his day. He takes a little time to refuel, then he's back at it―zooming and zipping around. This poetic, joyful book―filled with illustrations as bright and energetic as the boy himself― is a celebration of the active child.

The Museum

When I see a work of art, something happens in my heart! As a little girl tours and twirls through the halls of the art museum, she finds herself on an exciting adventure.

Sign up for Susan's FREE newsletter and receive up-to-date information on book release dates, virtual visits, mindfulness meditations and more!

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Susan Verde believes every child's experience is valid and unique and every child should be seen and celebrated. Her books tell tales of magical museum visits, serendipitous friendships, caring for the environment and more. They help readers cultivate empathy and compassion towards themselves and others.

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Headspace | Meditation | Accepting the Mind

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Here are Difficult Mandalas Coloring Pages for Adults to print out for free.
Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning a circle, and metaphorically a universe, environment, or community.

For centuries, many cultures (e.g. Tibet) have used the Mandala as a tool to facilitate meditation. The ones suggested here are of various styles and levels of difficulty, ranging from easy to complex!

NEW: Discover our new website 100% Free Mandalas to print and color (for children and adults) : www.free-mandalas.net

Simple mandala with petals

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Here are Difficult Mandalas Coloring Pages for Adults to print out for free. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning a circle, and metaphorically a universe, environment, or community. For centuries, many cultures (e.g. Tibet) have used the Mandala as a tool to facilitate meditation.

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Below, you will find a wide range of mandalas for all ages and skill levels, including easy-to-color mandalas, detailed mandalas, geometric mandalas, animal mandalas, flower mandalas, plus many, many more!

If you are looking for animal-themed designs, you can see our animal mandalas here or keep browsing our mandala catalog below!

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Free coloring pages for you to print - Monday Mandala

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Here is a list of coloring pages that you can download and print for free.

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Mandala coloring pages | Free Coloring Pages

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Mandala Coloring pages. Select from 73141 printable Coloring pages of cartoons, animals, nature, Bible and many more.

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Being a teen is stressful! Whether it's school, friends, or dating, the teen years are full of difficult changes-both mentally and physically. If you're like many teens, you may have difficulty dealing with stress in effective ways. You aren't alone, and there are things you can do to stay calm, no matter how stressful life becomes. All you need to do is stop, breathe, and be mindful and aware in the present moment.

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Being a teen is stressful! Whether it's school, friends, or dating, the teen years are full of difficult changes-both mentally and physically. If you're like many teens, you may have difficulty dealing with stress in effective ways. You aren't alone, and there are things you can do to stay calm, no matter how stressful life becomes.

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What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is paying full attention to the present moment. It means taking your time to really notice what you're doing.

Mindfulness happens naturally sometimes. Let's say you're getting ready to take a foul shot in basketball. You carefully position your feet at the line. You look up at the hoop and feel the ball in your hands. Taking your time, you dribble the ball once or twice. You tune out all distractions and take your shot. Swoosh - yes! That's mindfulness in action.

Why Do People Need Mindfulness?

Mindfulness helps you do your best at things. When you're mindful, you:

pay attention better

are less distracted

learn more

stay calm under stress

get tasks finished

It also can improve your mood. It may help you:

avoid getting upset too easily

take your time instead of rushing

gain self-control and self-awareness

feel happier and enjoy things more

It can even help you in social situations. Those who are mindful:

listen better when others are speaking

are more patient

get along better with others

How Does Mindfulness Work?

Training the mind takes practice. The more you practice mindfulness skills, the better you get at being mindful.

If you practice mindfulness skills, mindfulness begins to come naturally when you need it in your everyday life. This can help you feel calmer when you're stressed, or more focused when you have to do something hard or complicated.

As you practice, you train your attention. Practicing mindfulness can improve attention for just about everybody - including people who have ADHD, or who think they have trouble paying attention.

How Do I Get Started?

Mindfulness skills take just a few minutes a day to practice. There are many different types of mindfulness exercises, such as meditation, mindful breathing, and even mindful eating.

To get started, try this mindful breathing exercise:

Step 1. Sit or lie comfortably and put one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest.

Step 2. Close your eyes and try to relax all your muscles, one by one, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head, especially the muscles in your face, neck, and jaw. You may be storing a lot of tension there.

Step 3. Breathe deeply and regularly for several minutes- and try to make your stomach (abdomen) rise and fall, not only your chest. This will help you deepen your breath.

Step 4. Pay attention to each breath. Try to turn all your thoughts to each inhale ... exhale. As you breathe out, imagine the tension leaving your body with the breath.

Step 5. Notice when your mind wanders, and gently bring your focus back to your breath. Imagine letting go of each distracting thought like a balloon drifting away, or any other imagery that works for you.

That's it! Remember that there are other ways to practice mindful breathing too. Go ahead and try a few different mindfulness exercises to see which ones work best for you.

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Mindfulness helps people do their best at things, whether that's focusing on a task or getting along with others. This article for teens has details on practicing mindfulness so you can make it work for you.

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When we think of mindfulness, we may not think of teenagers.

But a growing body of evidence suggests that mindfulness practice could be beneficial to teens, helping them cultivate empathy, as well as skills for concentration and impulse control. In short, mindfulness can help adolescents navigate the challenges of adolescence.

As parents or teachers, we can introduce young people to the practice of mindfulness, or purposeful, nonjudgmental awareness. It might take some work, however, to convince teenagers of the value of slowing down, disconnecting from their digital devices and simply breathing.

So let's start with square one: getting "buy-in" when teaching mindfulness to teens.

1. Model Mindfulness
We can't show adolescents the benefits of a mindfulness practice without modeling it ourselves. This doesn't mean we always need to be paragons of contented bliss, but we should demonstrate our ability to manage stress and respond, not react, to setbacks.

Last year, as I handed out a revised course calendar to my high school students (due to having lost five days of school to the cold weather), one of my students said, "You seem so stressed out about this! Normally you're so chill!"

Her comment actually surprised me. I'm pretty intense and active when I teach (who wouldn't get fired up about European history?), but apparently, I still demonstrate a "chill" demeanor.

If we want students to take mindfulness seriously, they need to see it in action. They need to see us paying attention and handling challenges skillfully. Those millennial Holden Caulfields can spot a phony a mile away.

2. What's in it for Them?
Teenagers may see mindfulness as completely unrelated to their busy and connected lives. Here are a few research findings that you could share with them:

3. Teach Teens About Their Brain
Adolescents are fascinated about how their brains work. We can teach teens how mindfulness instruction is like getting the owner's manual for their brain. This TEDx talk by Dan Siegel, author of Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, has a great demonstration that you can use with teens (or even younger kids) to teach them about the parts of the brain, using their hands as a model. (The demonstration starts at about the 12:00 mark).

The demonstration focuses on three structures of the brain: the brainstem (our "reptilian" brain, responsible for breathing, heart-rate, etc.), the limbic system/amygdala (our "mammalian" brain, involved in emotion and memory) and the cortex (our "human" brain, responsible for thinking and self-regulation). The hand model reveals how close the amygdala is to the pre-frontal cortex, and how mindfulness can help the thinking part of the brain process the raw emotion of the limbic system. And that can lead to better decision-making -- it allows a mindful pause, a skillful response instead of an unthinking reaction.

We can teach teens that mindfulness is a form of training for their brains: meditation has actually been shown to increase gray matter in the portion of the brain responsible for self-awareness and compassion. Mindfulness can play a role in the neuroplasticity of the brain -- our experiences can actually transform our brains, the way exercise can transform our bodies.

4. Teach Teens About Their Mind
When I teach mindfulness to my high school students, I use the analogy of the monkey mind, constantly jumping around from branch to branch, thought to thought.

When I did a mindfulness exercise with my students during a stressful week of finals, I explained that a lot of our anxiety is truly "in our heads" -- our stress comes from our worrying brains ruminating on all the worst possible scenarios. I gave this example: "You may think, 'I'm going to fail the final, my parents will be furious with me, I'll never get into a good college, and I'll never find a job!'" One student exclaimed, "Omigosh, have you been inside my head!?!"

When we practice mindfulness, we learn that much of the chatter of the mind is just that: chatter. It's not reality -- it's worry, it's anxiety, it's baseless projection. Mindfulness teaches teenagers to be aware of their thoughts, perhaps simply labeling them as "worrying." They can acknowledge anxiety, without getting caught up in the negative thoughts it generates.

Adolescents can discover that there are ways to approach the mind skillfully. This is often eye-opening!

5. There's an App for That!
I realize there's a bit of irony in recommending apps to practice mindfulness, especially to get teens to practice disconnection from their uber-connected cyberworlds. I use the Insight Meditation Timer when we practice mindful breathing in class, and students always want to know what app I am using. They love seeing the map graphic on the Insight Timer that shows all the locations worldwide where people are meditating.

Here are some of my favorite meditation apps for teens:

Stop, Breathe, and Think. My students like this app because it opens with a short "interview" where the user selects several words to describe how they are feeling, and then the app recommends guided meditations for their current state.

Smiling Mind. Designed for adolescents (and my students generally love anything with an Australian or British accent!)

Take a Break! Not necessarily just for teens, but it provides short guided meditations for stress relief.

I am wholeheartedly convinced that we can all benefit from incorporating mindfulness practice into our busy lives, especially teenagers. I hope these tips help you encourage the adolescents in your life to spend some time in digital detox, in stillness and in mindfulness.

This post originally appeared on Sarah's blog Left Brain Buddha. You can follow Sarah on Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+.

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Teaching Mindfulness to Teenagers: 5 Ways to Get Started

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When we think of mindfulness, we may not think of teenagers. But a growing body of evidence suggests that mindfulness practice could be beneficial to teens, helping them cultivate empathy, as well as skills for concentration and impulse control. In short, mindfulness can help adolescents navigate the challenges of adolescence.

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25 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Children & Teens (+Tips!)

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Fun mindfulness activities for kids to teach them about mindfulness. Enjoy!

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There's no shortage of mindfulness and meditation apps these days, promising to help you combat anxiety, sleep better, hone your focus, and more. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reports that more than 2,000 new meditation apps launched between 2015 and 2018, and offerings have only increased as a result of higher demand during the pandemic-according to the New York Times, mindfulness apps surged in 2020. We took the overwhelm out of finding the most valuable and easy-to-use meditation apps that are available free and narrowed it down to these four apps.

4 Free Meditation Apps We're Happy We Downloaded

Available for iOS, Android, and web

Entry price: Free

Insight Timer has a huge library of content: over 80,000 free guided meditations from over 10,000 teachers on topics like stress, relationships, healing, sleep, creativity, and more.

Right from the beginning, the app feels like a global community-the world map on the home screen shows a collective of 18 million meditators, and announces, "741k today, 7k now." After you finish a meditation, you'll learn exactly how many people were meditating "with you" during that time-and by setting your location, you can even see meditators nearby and what tracks they're listening to.

Once you find a teacher you enjoy-like Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Sharon Salzberg, or Rhonda Magee -you can follow them to make sure you don't miss any new content. You can also tune in to free talks for life advice and inspiration. For those craving real-time interactions, Insight Timer offers live events every hour of the day to join on a whim or plan into your schedule.

You can even sign up to Circle for Teams, one of their newer offerings, which allows you to create circles (read: groups) to meditate in real-time with friends or colleagues.

If you prefer a quieter meditation, however, you can simply set a timer and meditate to intermittent bells, calming ambient noise, or soothing music.

Depending on your preferences, Insight Timer's extensive collection can be either a blessing or a curse-an endless list of choices that leave you overwhelmed or a buffet of tempting options to sink your teeth into.

Paid option: For $60 per year (with a 30-day free trial), you get access to courses with well-known teachers, the ability to download meditations and listen offline, and advanced player functions like repeat mode and fast forward and rewind.

Available for iOS, Android, and web

Entry price: Free

Smiling Mind hits the sweet spot for a free mindfulness app in so many ways.

The not-for-profit app features hundreds of meditations, enough to keep you engaged without overwhelming you with choice. They are organized into structured programs like Mindful Foundations (35 sessions), Sleep (6 sessions), Digital Detox (8 sessions), and Stress Management (10 sessions), but you have the flexibility to choose where to start and to easily jump between programs. Most meditations are in the five- to fifteen-minute range, with a few practices up to 45 minutes for advanced meditators. Smiling Mind also offers bite-sized meditations between 2 to 5 minutes for moments when you're in need of a quick, mindful pause in the day.

Downloaded by over 5.5 million people, the app also has a variety of specialized programs for families, children and teens of various ages, healthcare workers, and educators (including curricula they can use in the classroom); all developed with the help of psychologists and health professionals.

While you could use a meditation app as a temporary break from your hectic life, Smiling Mind wants you to take your mindfulness practice off the cushion and into the rest of your day. Interspersed with some of the meditation programs are instructions for "activities" like Journaling Exercise, Go Offline, Where Did My Food Come From, and Count Your Senses. In the Count Your Senses activity, for example, the audio prompts you to bring your attention to your senses by counting things that can be seen, felt, heard, smelled and tasted.

Smiling Mind was originally created for kids, so they offer a robust selection of kid- and youth-appropriate mindfulness sessions.

Created by a nonprofit by the same name, Smiling Mind is entirely free-so you don't have the distraction of paid content that's inaccessible to you as a free user. The app wants to put a "smile on your mind"-and it might just succeed.

Paid option: None

Available for iOS and Android

Entry price: Free

If all the research on mindfulness has persuaded you that you need to meditate, the UCLA Mindful app could be a good place to start.

Developed by the Mindful Awareness Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the app features about a dozen meditations of different types in English and Spanish. You can learn to focus on your breath, your body, or sounds; work with difficult emotions; and cultivate loving-kindness in sessions ranging from 3 to 19 minutes long.

If you're new to mindfulness, you might choose to take advantage of their Getting Started section, which offers information on what mindfulness is, how to choose a meditation, which posture is best for your practice, and what research-backed benefits you might expect from it.

As a bonus, the app also offers longer meditations that it calls "podcasts." These are half-hour audio recordings of meditations that include talks, typically by UCLA Director of Mindfulness Education Diana Winston, before and after the meditation, as well as plenty of silent practice time.

If you're looking for an app that is heavily grounded in the science of mindfulness, you can put your trust in UCLA Mindful.

Paid option: None

Available for iOS and Android

Entry price: Free

The Healthy Minds Program app wants to help you develop the skills for a healthy mind-by strengthening mental focus, decreasing stress, and growing resilience, compassion, and better immune health.

Founded by neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson (who also founded the research institute Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison), the app integrates neuroscience and research-based techniques with meditation training to increase overall well-being.

The framework of the app's mindfulness and well-being training is organized into four pillars: Awareness, Connection, Insight, and Purpose. Each pillar consists of three to five parts, and each part contains three series and multiple sessions within. For the Connection pillar, for example, the Innate Self-Worth series includes five sessions packaged to foster self-worth (think sessions like Practice Seeing the Good In Ourselves, and Learn Negativity Bias). You have a choice of either a Sitting or Active type of practice-"active" practices include guidance for being mindful while you exercise, or during your commute-and you can customize the length of time (five minutes to 30 minutes).

The app offers a collection of 27 meditations outside their four-pillar wellness framework, including one-minute Micro Practices for when you're in need of a brief respite.

At times the podcast-style app may encourage more thinking compared to typical guided meditations, but for the listener who is seeking guided meditations with the greater goal to increase awareness, cognition, and well-being, Healthy Minds Program app may be just the ticket.

Paid option: None

When we meditate, we inject far-reaching and long-lasting benefits into our lives: We lower our stress levels, we get to know our pain, we connect better, we improve our focus, and we're kinder to ourselves. Let us walk you through the basics in our new mindful guide on how to meditate. Read More

Practicing gratitude has incredible effects, from improving our mental health to boosting our relationships with others. Explore ways you can be more appreciative in our mindful guide to gratitude. Read More

Mindful writing can lead you on the path of inner discovery. It can be the place where your experience meets your mindfulness practice, a place to encounter the twists and turns of your emotional life-and a bit of solid ground to stand on. Read More

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Free Meditation Apps Worthy of Your Attention

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We scoured the app stores to find the most popular, educational, and easy-to-use free meditation apps available.

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Our editors handpick the products that we feature. We may earn money from the links on this page.

Tap your way to Zen.

While it would be lovely to be perched on the tip of a mountaintop at daybreak, it's not the only way to start meditating. All you need to find your serenity is a smartphone and a chunk of free time. The purported benefits of meditation include increased focus, reduced anxiety and stress, and better sleep. Not to mention, a meditation a day keeps the commute meltdown away. Which is why we've rounded up the top 10 meditation apps, that go beyond Headspace and Calm. Now, we'll warn you. Some of these stress relievers are pretty pricey (a few even clock in at more than a monthly Netflix subscription). That said, they do offer free trials if you're a beginner testing the waters. So, breathe in, hold, breathe out, and here we go.

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Just as the name of this meditation app states, Calm is a portal to peace of mind. Once you open the app, which has been downloaded more than 50 million times, you're invited to complete the Daily Calm or locate a meditation more specific to soothing what you have going on: anxiety, stress, a desire to break bad habits, etc. Further, there are walking meditations, body scans, masterclasses, and Sleep Stories-one of which comes courtesy of Matthew McConaughey. Nothing like letting the actor and his Southern drawl tuck you in at night.
$60 annually with a 30-day free trial
Download Now
As if the delightful illustrations on the Headspace app aren't enough of a sell, the guided courses and quick meditations should do the trick. The team have branded Headspace as "your gym membership for the mind" and believe that your mind is a muscle that deserves just as much attention as your biceps. Beyond practicing silencing your rapid thoughts while sitting with your legs crossed, the app offers sleep music and soundscapes to help you get those much-needed and often-elusive zzz's.
$13 monthly with a one-week free trial, or $70 annually with two-week free trial
Download Now
10% Happier hears your "I suck at meditation" and responds by saying its app is "meditation for fidgety skeptics." An offshoot of the New York Times best-selling book by the same name, the app connects you directly with expert teachers who can coach you through the basics of meditation. The experts even personally respond to your queries, usually within the day. The point of the app is this: Chaos will reign, but with a little help from its gratitude, joy, and love meditations, you can indeed become just a bit happier.
$99 annually with a seven-day free trial
Download Now
The actual Inscape is a meditation studio in New York City with sound- and smellscapes designed to instantly transport its members to tranquility. But the app has just the same effect, and you don't have to take the subway. It offers the usual suspects: guided meditations, custom sleep sessions, stress reducers, and the like. But where Inscape sets itself apart is with its playlists. Categorized by life's moments (Tinder Troubles, Overcoming Your Fears, Study Chill), each little melodic meditation snack has your back.

Cost: $10 monthly or $59 annually with a free seven-day trial
Download Now
It's easy to find a meditation app that touts a free trial. It's a lot harder to find a quality meditation app that is in its entirety free. Enter the unicorn of gratis meditation apps: Insight Timer. A multifaceted gateway to more than 30,000 guided sessions that tap into every emotion rattling your nerves, it also offers relaxing music tracks, a section for kids, and therapeutic pep talks from the likes of Indian yogi Sadhguru and psychotherapist Anthony DeMello.
Free
Download Now
Though many meditation apps require your credit card number before offering anything truly helpful, the Stop, Breathe & Think app offers a fairly robust slate of meditations completely free. And again, unlike its peers, SB&T wants you to do just as its name says: Stop, breathe, and think before you dive in. Every time the app is opened, it invites you to check in with your feelings; it's a quick survey that leads you to a choice of meditations tailored to your needs on that particular day.

Cost: You can access more than 20 activities for free. Premium memberships are $10 monthly or $59 annually
Download Now
Buddhify, a family-run app, isn't saying you should quit your job and move to Tibet. But it is saying that a little Buddhification to your everyday life can make a world of difference. And that doesn't mean sitting still for half an hour-unless you want to (the app does have a selection of formal meditations if you're so inclined). What sets the Buddhify app apart is its focus on mobile and on-the-go meditation sessions. It's a way to introduce meditation into daily circumstances: like during a work break, while you're with a friend, when you can't sleep, when you're trying to keep from drunk dialing...
$30 annually
Download Now
Respect to all of those meditators who can quiet their minds for hours at a time (yes, they exist). But according to Simple Habit, all it takes is five minutes to achieve quietude. And though several of the meditation apps on this list include quickie meditation sessions in their catalogs, this app, which dedicates the bulk of its library to brief sessions, might be the best fit for the busiest of bees. Pro tip: It's the antidote to those frustratingly long grocery lines.

Cost: $12 monthly, $96 annually, $300 for lifetime use
Download Now
If Simple Habit is for busy bees, Aura is for hustlers who have barely enough free time to read this blurb. Just stop reading and download this app. For anyone else who maybe needs a way to help them quickly calm their nerves before a date, soothe their worries during an airline takeoff, or get jolted out of a moment's panic, Aura may be a good choice. Its collection of three-minute sessions and 30-second anxiety busters are designed to save you from such intense situations.
$12 monthly, $95 annually
Download Now
Meditations, chants, mantras from Sanskrit scholars: This app is for serious Zen seekers only. One of the most comprehensive meditation apps in the digital sphere, Sattva (which translates to "existence") is a fountain of meditative wealth. In addition to guided meditations led by the top experts in the industry and mental wellness high-fives like trophies and progress trackers, Sattva taps into your physical health too. It's equipped with a heart rate monitor and a mood tracker, meaning you can see right there in the palm of your hand the effects of your practice on your health.

Cost: $108 for lifetime use
Download Now
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The Best Meditation Apps to Help With Anxiety

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Our editors handpick the products that we feature. We may earn money from the links on this page. Tap your way to Zen. While it would be lovely to be perched on the tip of a mountaintop at daybreak, it's not the only way to start meditating.

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Enter and Recenter

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by Carla Hibbs
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Zen garden app
Koi pond app
Relaxing sounds app

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Visual Relaxation - Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan ISD 196

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Visual Relaxation - Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan ISD 196

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Sometimes life gets challenging or overwhelming. At the Osseo Area Learning Center, we have a Calming Room to help students and staff explore strategies to deal with those challenges. When you are out in the world and there isn't a calming room, here are some resources to help you find new ways to manage life and emotions.

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In recognition of the need for evidence-based, universal, trauma-responsive practices that support the complete physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of children, youth, staff, and caregivers, the TASN School Mental Health Initiative has partnered with Little Flower Yoga to develop an online video series introducing practices that can be: a) instructionally embedded, and b) accessible to all.

Application for Children and Youth + Application for Staff and Caregivers

Children and Youth

The following videos can be played directly for children and youth. Each series includes an introduction and seven 20-minute lessons featuring over 30 mindfulness and school-based yoga practices.
Elementary (Children)

1. Introduction (13 minutes)

2. Exploring the Five Elements (22 minutes)

What are mindfulness and yoga?

Introduction to the five elements and foundational activities.

Share guidelines for participation.

3. Connecting to My Body (22 minutes)

Create opportunities for children to notice sensation in their bodies in various poses.

Review what yoga and mindfulness mean.

Increase self-awareness in relation to physical sensations.

4. Coming Soon!

5. Coming Soon!

6. Coming Soon!

7. Coming Soon!

8. Coming Soon!

Middle and High School (Youth)

1. Introduction (13 minutes)

2. Exploring the Five Elements (24 minutes)

What are mindfulness and yoga?

Introduction to the five elements and foundational activities.

Share guidelines for participation.

3. Connecting to My Body (25 minutes)

Create opportunities for youth to notice sensation in their bodies in various poses.

Increase self-awareness in relation to physical sensations.

4. Coming Soon!

5. Coming Soon!

6. Coming Soon!

7. Coming Soon!

8. Coming Soon!

Staff and Caregivers

An introduction and four, 5 to 20-minute lessons in energizing, restorative, chair yoga, and breath work practices.

1. Introduction (8 minutes)
Introduction to the well-being program, the 5 elements and pathways of mindfulness, and guidelines for participation.

2. Energizing Practice (13 minutes)
Chair-based mindfulness and yoga practices to help bring more empowered and alert energy into the body and moment.

3. Coming Soon!

4. Coming Soon!

5. Coming Soon!

Research on Mindfulness and School-Based Yoga

Neuroscientific research documenting the interconnectedness of social, emotional, intellectual, and physical well-being is well-established. Healthy cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal skills require regulation of the limbic system, or protective brain. Embodied mindfulness practices - with the express goal of building social and emotional competencies - support the regulation necessary for students to engage their prefrontal cortex, or thoughtful brain, and build the additional skills necessary for learning and healthy interactions. Kids need to move and connecting with sensation in the body is a particularly effective way to explore mindfulness. Practices derived from yoga ¹ serve to enhance existing efforts around social and emotional growth through the development of biological self-regulation skills. When mindfulness and yoga are taught together, each become more powerful teaching tools to cultivate inner resources that maximize resilience and support healthy navigation of challenges internally and externally:

Mental Health: Kansas Communities that Care data show increased levels of depression² and conflict³. Mindfulness and yoga may have beneficial effects on outcomes related to children's psychological well-being, such as reducing anxiety⁴ and depression⁵, alleviating stress⁶, and improving mental health⁷.

Physical Health: Kansas Model Grade-Level Outcomes for Physical Education refer to the value of body awareness, awareness of breath, strengthening and stress-reducing benefits of yoga.⁸ Studies have found that mindfulness reduces blood pressure⁹ and enhances sleep quality¹⁰ in high school students. Research also suggests that yoga enhances physical well-being¹¹, physical fitness¹², and balance, strength, and flexibility in youth.

Social and Emotional Skills: Kansas Social, Emotional, and Character Development Standards ¹³ note that "personal and academic success are built upon the ability to consider thoughts, understand feelings and manage one's responses" and the Kansans Can Competencies Framework ¹⁴ provides a process for embedding intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong learning including those such as self-care. Mindfulness and yoga may have beneficial effects on a variety of social-emotional outcomes¹⁵ such as improved biological self-regulation16, 17, reduced hostility¹⁸, and fewer problem behaviors19, 20, and aid in developing a well-regulated foundation to support student engagement and further skill development.

Academic Performance: Kansas Communities that Care data indicates that approximately 37% of youth were at risk of academic failure in 2019 based on questions about their grades.²¹ Mindfulness and yoga may have beneficial effects on academic performance, such as improvements in quarterly grades²² and high-stakes test scores²³, and preventing declines in Grade Point Average (GPA)²⁴.

For systematic review papers and meta-analyses research on yoga and mindfulness for youth, see Serwacki and Cook-Cottone (2012), Khalsa & Butzer (2016), Carsley et al. (2017), Felver et al. (2015), Maynard et al. (2017), McKeering and Hwang (2018), Weaver and Darragh (2015), Dunning et al. (2018), Mak et al. (2017), and Zoogman et al. (2014). For guidance on the application of mindfulness and yoga in schools, see Secularity: Guiding Questions for Inclusive Yoga in Schools.

Adapted from Little Flower Yoga.

This resource is intended for educational purposes only. The information contained herein is not intended to take the place of informed professional diagnosis, advice, or recommendations. The KSDE TASN SMHI assumes no liability for errors or for the way in which this information is used. The TASN School Mental Health Initiative (SMHI) is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education (#H323A17006) and is administered by the Kansas Department of Education. The contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education and endorsement by the Office of Special Education Programs should not be assumed. The SMHI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies should be sent to: Deputy Director, Keystone Learning Services, 500 E. Sunflower Blvd., Ozawkie, KS 66070; 785-876-2214.
References

1. Little Flower Yoga. 2015. LFY Training Manual: Level One. (p. 9). Little Flower Yoga.

2. Kansas Communities that Care. (2019). Depression. Retrieved 2020, May 11 from http://kctcdata.org/Manage/ViewQuestion?code=30120&building=0&questionId=Sui15_142&riskProtective=0&surveyType=KCTC&selectedSurvey=CTY&selectedCounty=30120-0&selectedCategory=-999&CategoryName=Depression%2FSuicide

3. Kansas Communities that Care. (2019). Problem Behaviors: Violence. Retrieved 2020, May 11 from http://kctcdata.org/Manage/ViewQuestion?code=30120&building=0&questionId=Q0066F&riskProtective=0&surveyType=KCTC&selectedSurvey=CTY&selectedCounty=30120-0&selectedCategory=-999&CategoryName=Problem%20Behaviors

4. Weaver, L. L., & Darragh, A. R. (2015). Systematic review of yoga interventions for anxiety reduction among children and adolescents. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(6). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2015.020115

5. Chi, X., Bo, A., Liu, T., Zhang, P., & Chi, I. (2018). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on depression in adolescents and young adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1034. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01034

6. Hagen, I., & Nayar, U. S. (2014). Yoga for children and young people's mental health and well-being: research review and reflections on the mental health potentials of yoga. Frontiers in psychiatry, 5, 35. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00035

7. Dunning, D. L., Griffiths, K., Kuyken, W., Crane, C., Foulkes, L., Parker, J., & Dalgleish, T. (2018). The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. PsyArXiv, 9. Retrieved from https://psyarxiv.com/rj5mk/

8. Kansas State Department of Education. (2018). Kansas Model Grade-Level Outcomes for Physical Education. Retrieved 2019, October 9 from https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/CSAS/Content%20Area%20(M-Z)/Physical%20Education/2018%20Kansas%20Model%20GLOs%20for%20PE%20by%20Standard%20FINAL%20102218.pdf?ver=2018-10-22-154200-883

9. Brown Wright, L., Gregoski, M. J., Tingen, M. S., Barnes, V. A., & Treiber, F. A. (2011). Impact of stress reduction interventions on hostility and ambulatory systolic blood pressure in African American adolescents. Journal of Black Psychology, 37(2), 210-233. doi: 10.1177/0095798410380203. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3319013/

10. Bei, B., Byrne, M. L., Ivens, C., Waloszek, J., Woods, M. J., Dudgeon, P., ... & Allen, N. B. (2013). Pilot study of a mindfulness‐based, multi‐component, in‐school group sleep intervention in adolescent girls. Early intervention in psychiatry, 7(2), 213-220. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7893.2012.00382.x

11. Chen, D. D., & Pauwels, L. (2014). Perceived benefits of incorporating yoga into classroom teaching: Assessment of the effects of "yoga tools for teachers". Advances in Physical Education, 4(03), 138. doi: 10.4236/ape.2014.43018

12. Purohit, S. P., Pradhan, B., & Nagendra, H. R. (2016). Effect of yoga on EUROFIT physical fitness parameters on adolescents dwelling in an orphan home: A randomized control study. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 11(1), 33-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450128.2016.1139764

13. Kansas State Department of Education. (2018, July). Kansas Social, Emotional, and Character Development Model Standards, p. 10. Retrieved 2019, October 9 from https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Special-Education-and-Title-Services/Social_Emotional_Growth

14. Kansans Can Competencies. Retrieved 2019, October 9 from https://ksdetasn.org/competency and http://www.cccframework.org/

15. Maynard, B. R., Solis, M., Miller, V., & Brendel, K. E. (2017). Mindfulness-based interventions for improving cognition, academic achievement, behavior and socio-emotional functioning of primary and secondary students. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 13. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED573474

16. Bergen-Cico, D., Razza, R., & Timmins, A. (2015). Fostering self-regulation through curriculum infusion of mindful yoga: A pilot study of efficacy and feasibility. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(11), 3448-3461. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-015-0146-2

17. Deplus, S., Billieux, J., Scharff, C., & Philippot, P. (2016). A mindfulness-based group intervention for enhancing self-regulation of emotion in late childhood and adolescence: A pilot study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 14(5), 775-790. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11469-015-9627-1

18. Frank, J. L., Bose, B., & Schrobenhauser-Clonan, A. (2014). Effectiveness of a school-based yoga program on adolescent mental health, stress coping strategies, and attitudes toward violence: Findings from a high-risk sample. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 30(1), 29-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/15377903.2013.863259

19. Frank, J. L., Kohler, K., Peal, A., & Bose, B. (2017). Effectiveness of a school-based yoga program on adolescent mental health and school performance: Findings from a randomized controlled trial. Mindfulness, 8(3), 544-553. doi: 10.1007/s12671-016-0628-3

20. Franco, C., Amutio, A., López-González, L., Oriol, X., & Martínez-Taboada, C. (2016). Effect of a mindfulness training program on the impulsivity and aggression levels of adolescents with behavioral problems in the classroom. Frontiers in psychology, 7, 1385. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5031764/

21. Kansas Communities that Care. 2019. Risk Factors: School Domain. Retrieved 2020, May 11 from http://kctcdata.org/Home/ViewRiskFactorsChart?selectedCounty=30120-0&grade=0&year=2020

22. Bakosh, L. S., Snow, R. M., Tobias, J. M., Houlihan, J. L., & Barbosa-Leiker, C. (2016). Maximizing mindful learning: Mindful awareness intervention improves elementary school students' quarterly grades. Mindfulness, 7(1), 59-67. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-015-0387-6

23. Bellinger, D. B., DeCaro, M. S., & Ralston, P. A. (2015). Mindfulness, anxiety, and high-stakes mathematics performance in the laboratory and classroom. Consciousness and Cognition, 37, 123-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2015.09.001

24. Butzer, B., van Over, M., Noggle Taylor, J. J., & Khalsa, S. B. S. (2015). Yoga may mitigate decreases in high school grades. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4546979/

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In recognition of the need for evidence-based, universal, trauma-responsive practices that support the complete physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of children, youth, staff, and caregivers, the TASN School Mental Health Initiative has partnered with Little Flower Yoga to develop an online video series introducing practices that can be: a) instructionally embedded, and b) accessible to all.

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Mantras are short key phrases that you can memorize and chant (out loud or in your mind) repeatedly to attract positivity and dispel negative energy.

The right mantra can give you strength, open your mind and help you to break through limiting beliefs and achieve your true potential.

This article is a collection of 29 short mantras to live by.

Even though they are short, these mantras carry important life lessons. Find the mantras that deeply resonate with you and you can use them as your personal mantras.

Here's the list of mantras:

1. It's not what you cannot do, but what you can do.

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden

What you focus on the most decides the course of your life.

A simple change of focus from what you cannot do, to what you can do, can bring a massive difference to your outlook. You begin to attract solutions and get back on track.

So whenever you encounter self defeating thoughts, use this mantra to change your mindset from negative to positive.

2. Forget the day's troubles, remember the day's blessings.

Expressing gratitude is a beautiful way to start/end each day. When you express gratitude, you begin to see the hidden grace and beauty in all things. You automatically change your vibration from one of scarcity to one of abundance. And when you think in abundance, you attract abundance into your life.

So whenever you find yourself ruminating about the negatives, remember this mantra to change your thoughts to the positive.

Also Read: 29 Short Morning Mantras For Strength and Positivity

3. Slow down, but don't stop.

You can reach all your goals as long as you follow this mantra. This is because, life is like a marathon; it's a long run and not a short sprint.

You need to have a calm and focused mind, keep making small advancements and maintain a steady pace. If you do that, there is nothing that you cannot achieve.

4. Forget the mistake. Remember the lesson.

It's important to realize that it's only human to make mistakes. So forgive yourself and let go of regrets as holding on to regrets will prevent you from moving forward in life.

And as you move on, take with you the lessons you learnt from the mistake so you do not repeat it again in the future.

Learning from your mistakes and mistakes of others is the path to self growth.

5. I am enough. I do not need to prove anything to anybody.

When you look for approval and validation from others, you essentially give away your power to them. You let them run your life. But the moment you realize that you are enough as you are, you liberate yourself.

6. My challenges will bring a better me.

If you look back at your life, you will realize that it was the challenges you faced along the way that shaped you into the person you are today.

You gained all this wisdom about life because of those challenges. So whenever you are faced with a challenge, remember this mantra and it will give you the courage to push forward.

7. I will figure it out.

Every problem has a solution. All that is required is the attitude to look for the solution believing that it exists instead of feeling down and diminished thinking about the problem.

This short mantra is all you need to help change your mindset whenever you find yourself in the midst of a seemingly tough situation.

8. I am on my own path.

We live in a society that encourages us to think less for ourselves and instead, simply follow others. It encourages us to be part of the herd and not do or think any different.

But throughout history you will find that it is the people who thought differently who made all the difference.

So do not worry if your path is different from others. Believe in yourself and pursue your path with courage and determination and you are sure to achieve success.

9. Be curious, not judgemental.

Being curious is about trying to understand things from a deeper perspective. It's about cultivating empathy.

So whenever you find yourself judging someone/something, use this mantra to remind yourself of being a little less judgmental and little more understanding.

10. Good things come to those who wait.

In life, there is a time and place for everything. You cannot simply force things to happen.

Just like you cannot force the night to end and the day to begin. The night will end when it is the right time. The day will begin when it's the right time. This is why, patience is the the most important virtue you can have.

Use this mantra to remind yourself to always have belief and patience and that everything that you desire will come to you when the time is right.

11. Always challenge the status quo.

This mantra encourages you to question everything and live life by your own standards and not by the status quo. Ask why things are a certain way, see if a better way exists and follow through with it.

Just because a rule exists, doesn't necessarily mean that it is the absolute truth. Just because others are doing things a certain way, doesn't necessarily mean it is the only way.

If you don't like it; if you think there is a better way, then by all means, go for it. Set an example for others to follow.

12. There is no time like the present.

There is immense power that lies in the present moment.

We spend a lot of time lost in thoughts about the past or future. Use this mantra to help your mind snap out of these unconscious thoughts and come to the present moment.

The present moment is where the magic happens. What you do right now has the potential to change your life.

13. Always be learning.

"Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn, and you will."
― Vernon Howard

The moment you assume that you 'know it all', is the moment you stop growing. Therefore, it's important that you always keep an open mind and always be open to learning.

Do not by any means become rigid in your beliefs or ideologies. Be fluid like water and be open to all the wisdom and knowledge that is available out there.

14. Balance in all things.

Balance is the crux of life. Everything in nature is in perfect harmony and balance.

Imagine riding a bicycle. In order to keep riding, you need to maintain balance. If you tilt too much one way or the other, you will fall down. The same principle applies to life as well.

If you become imbalanced in any aspect of your life, you will have to face the consequences. As a simplified example, if you are constantly eating an unbalanced diet then you will fall ill.

Use this mantra to remind yourself to maintain balance and moderation in all things. Balance is the secret to living a happy and peaceful life.

15. Perseverance not perfection is key to success.

Perfection is just an illusion; it simply cannot be achieved. This is because, perfection is subjective in nature. What one person finds perfect, another finds flawed. Therefore, it's never a good idea to strive for perfection.

The real key to success is perseverance or the ability to keep going in spite of the setbacks.

16. Work smarter, not harder.

Working hard is not the secret to success, rather, working smart is. You can get a lot more done with a lot less effort when you work smart. So always ask yourself if there is a better way of getting things done and keep innovating.

17. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

The best way to bring about change is to set an example for others to emulate.

If you want others to be more tolerant, be more tolerant yourself. If you want others to hate less, let go of feelings of hate from within your own self. Once you begin to change, you will start to see the world change around you.

18. Let deeds not words be your adorning.

Use your energy efficiently.

Do not waste your energy talking about the things you want to achieve. Instead, invest that energy in creating and actually achieving those things.

19. Remember, the glass is half full.

Everything is a matter of perspective. When you change your perspective, you see something that was completely oblivious to you before.

For example, if you focus on the night, you see darkness, but if you shift your focus just a little and look above, you see all the stars.

The stars were always there, the only thing that was required to see them was a change in perspective.

Use this mantra to remind yourself that there are many sides to every situation and with a simple change in perspective, you will be able to see them.

20. Every journey starts with a single step.

If you are overwhelmed by a goal or objective, then remind yourself using this mantra that you can achieve the mightiest tasks as long as you get started and take it one step at a time.

As you keep taking baby steps you slowly march toward your objective and before long, those baby steps will turn into large strides.

So do not get overwhelmed by the size of the task but rather bring your focus to what needs to be done today to start moving toward completing the task at hand.

Focus on the process rather than the outcome and you will reach your objectives easily.

21. If you want something different, do something different.

If you are tired of getting the same results over and over again, it is time that you reevaluate your process.

If you follow the same process, you will receive the same results. But just by making some minor tweaks, your results can be drastically different.

22. It's better to light a candle than to curse the dark.

This mantra is a reminder that focusing on the problem isn't going to solve it. It will only make you feel bad.

The only way to solve a problem is to focus your energy on the solutions. If there are no solutions in sight, focus your energy on finding a solution knowing that a solution exists. Always remember that you can only achieve what you believe is true.

23. Peace and presence in all circumstances.

When you are not present, you become lost in your mind and your thoughts and emotions get the better of you.

Therefore, make it a habit to bring the energy of presence into everything you do. This will help you take calculated decisions with a clear mind and reduce errors.

24. Create, don't compete.

When you compete, you are comparing yourself to others. You are focusing on their strengths and abilities and trying to beat that. So in a way, you become a follower.

Instead, when you create, you are focused on your own strengths and abilities. By focusing on your strengths, you are well on your way toward reaching your best version.

25. Dream big and don't fear to fail.

The fear of failure will prevent you from taking action toward achieving your dreams. By giving into this fear, you start self sabotaging. Therefore, become conscious of your fear of failure and let it go by accepting failure. Dare to dream big and use failures as stepping stones to success.

26. Fewer excuses, bigger results.

Excuses and blame games are not going to help you. In fact, the more excuses you make the less you will make an effort to correct your actions. In order to grow, it is prudent that learn to take complete responsibility for your actions instead of passing on the buck. Let go of the habit of blaming the external and take back your power.

27. Awareness precedes change.

"Self-knowledge is the great power by which we comprehend and control our lives"
― Vernon howard

This mantra is similar to the one we discussed above which is, ' If you want something different, do something different '.

In order to bring about change in your life, you need to take time to self reflect by observing your thoughts and emotions. It's only when you observe that you can start to identify negative/limiting patters (in your subconscious) that prevent you from making positive changes in your life.

Once you bring these patters into awareness, they start to disintegrate and you begin to break free from their influence. This is where change begins.

28. Always keep it simple.

The message of this mantra is to chop away at the inessentials, declutter (both within and outside), stop overthinking, let go of perfectionism, and learning to find joy in the simplest of things.

29. Be your own sunshine.

"Be a friend to thyself, and others will be so too." - Thomas Fuller

'Be your own sunshine' is a mantra of self love and acceptance.

It reminds you that in life, you need to become your own best friend by learning to love, respect and value yourself. And that you do not need to depend on anyone else for acceptance and happiness.

30. Mindset is everything.

Reality is subjective in nature. There is nothing that is the absolute truth. It's all just a perception in your mind. And because it's just a perception, it is in your control. It can be changed. As Wanye Dyer said, ' Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change '.

Use this mantra to remind yourself that there are many things in this world that are beyond your control, but one thing that is always in your control is your mind and therefore your mindset.

Also Read: 18 Inspirational Quotes To Live By

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30 Short Yet Powerful Mantras To Live By (Use Them For Strength And Positivity)

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Mantras are short key phrases that you can memorize and chant (out loud or in your mind) repeatedly to attract positivity and dispel negative energy. The right mantra can give you strength, open your mind and help you to break through limiting beliefs and achieve your true potential.