How Effective are Relaxation Exercises in Managing Stress

Stress is something that has emerged as part and parcel of the modern lifestyle. Be it, adults or children, no one has remained untouched by the stress of some kind or the other. In fact, increasing stress in children nowadays has become a common problem that every parent can relate to. And this is something that must be handled with absolute care.

But when it comes to stress, we, at JP International School, believe that doing the best at the right time can bring significant changes to the development of young minds. To that end, relaxation exercises remain one of the best and most effective ways to manage stress in children. Here are a few reasons why we, at JPIS, believe that stress management can be a game-changer in managing stress in children.

Relaxation exercises are instrumental in managing stress

Staying stress-free is important for the growth of children for a number of reasons – emotional, physical, and social development. This is because, a stress-free mind in a child is what helps improve their concentration power, mood swings, digestion, sleep quality, and so on. Moreover, it helps boost their confidence level and reduces the child’s frustration and anger tantrums. That being said, relaxation exercises like deep breathing, yoga, music therapy, and guided imagery are instrumental in making a difference in a child’s stress management strategies.

Calms down the mind

Meditation and deep breathing exercises are the easiest to learn for children and work the best to relax the child’s brain. ‘Deep breaths’ signal the brain and the body to calm down. Scientific studies prove that taking deep breaths helps in reducing the production of stress-causing hormones and aids in balancing emotions. Similarly, yoga is an effective relaxation exercise to achieve calmness, relaxation, and bring about a balance of mind, body, and soul. It is also one of the major coping mechanisms during stressful situations not, only for children but for people of any age.

Regulates emotions

Children are full of emotions and do not know how to regulate them. However, relaxation exercises like dance and music can help children balance their emotions and regulate them better. For instance, the slower tempo of the music, accompanied by slow hand and body movements, will help children vent out their emotional meltdowns in a positive way. Indeed, music therapy has the power to develop emotion regulation in preschoolers and adolescent children.

Outdoor activities are also equally beneficial in managing stress. You can take your child for bike riding, flying a kite, hula hooping, skipping, or anything else that they enjoy to relax their mood and release all pent-up emotions.

Improves creativity and imagination

Stress-free minds are said to be the most innovative and creative ones. Hence, with effective relaxation exercises taught at an earlier age, we can help children improve their creative skills. For instance, you can teach guided imagery to children. This is one of the beautiful ways where you can sit with your child, ask them to imagine a calmer, peaceful environment like a beach, and linger there for a while. This exercise not only helps them to calm down and manage stress but also improves their power of imagination and allows their creative juices to flow.

We, at JP International School, listed among the Top 10 CBSE Schools in Greater Noida, believes that relaxation techniques and exercises are a must for children to help them cripple the impacts of stress. And with the right mix of academic learning activities and relaxation exercises, children can effectively manage stress. This is why we, at JPIS, always focus on learning activities that help spark cognitive development in children and contribute to their holistic growth and development. We believe that it is important for children to learn to regulate emotions and adopt the right stress management techniques. And for that to happen, it is important that parents take the initiative to keep hold of their own patience and help the kids in practicing effective relaxation activities that work best to fight stress.

- JP International School