Welcome to our Lesson on calm Minds
- In this section, you will learn
- Why a calm mind is important
- How to practice calming your mind
WHY IS A CALM MIND IMPORTANT?
How to calm Your Mind
- Calming your mind is NOT easy. Very few adults are good at it when they first try. It is much harder for children.
- Start slow. Try for just 15 seconds at first, then maybe 30 seconds. Slowly work up to longer times.
- Practice with your child. Caregivers need this skill too, and your child needs your support.
- Have patience with yourself and your child. Laugh, be curious, and remember that no one is perfect.
Remember that children need your help to learn skills!
Calm MInd activities for caregivers
Try these activities to calm your mind.
Imagery
Imagine a place, picture, or event that is calming. Try to imagine every detail.
Body Awareness
Notice each part of your body from head to toe. Notice how they feel.
Focused Looking
Look at an object in front of you. Notice all the details you can. Try a candle, fountain, tree, or video of a campfire or ocean.
focused sounds
Close your eyes and listen to something. Maybe it’s birds or water outside. Maybe it’s your favorite song or waves crashing.
silence
Practice sitting in silence. Sit or lay down comfortably. Set a timer, and just breathe in silence.
Calm mind activities for kids
Help your child calm their mind. Try reading these to your child while they relax.
imagine a rainbow
Imagine you see a rainbow. Picture each color and think of who you are. Red: You are strong and safe. Orange: You are happy and playful. Yellow: You are proud and confident. Green: You are kind and caring. Blue: You are honest and truthful. Indigo: You are clever and creative. Violet: You are a good friend.
sit and breathe
Find a quiet place to sit on the floor. Sit cross-legged, with a straight back. Close your eyes or look at the ground in front of you. As you breathe, feel the cool air coming into your nose. Then feel the warmed-up air going out of your nose. If it helps, count the breaths: one, two, three…
SPOT IT
Choose a shape or a color. Look around the room and try to find as many things as possible that are the shape or color you chose. You can also try this with textures, smells, and sounds.
More ideas for Calm Mind activities
Apps for Calm mind
For kids
- Piku – Calm Kids
- Moshi: Sleep and Meditation
- Headspace
- Meditation for Kids
- Mindful Powers
- Smiling Mind
- Thrive Global (If your child has an Amazon Echo, they can say “Alexa, open Thrive” and ask for a meditation. At night, they can say “power down” for help falling asleep.)
For caregivers
- MyLife Meditation
- Calm
- Headspace
- The Mindfulness App
- Shine (for Women of Color)
- UCLA Mindful
- Buddhify
- Portal
- Colorfy
- Ten Percent Happier
- Insight Timer
- Healthy Minds Program
Hooray! You've learned a new skill: Calm Mind
Login/Enroll to track your progress and mark this lesson complete.
