Havening for Kids: 2 Powerful Stress-Busting Tools
When our minds and bodies are working together appropriately, we are in “the Green Zone.” But stress, particularly prolonged stress, pushes us out of the Green Zone and into the Red Zone (hyperarousal) or the Blue Zone (hypoarousal).
It’s important to remember that the impact of stress on a kid’s nervous system may look different than we expect.
Red Zone
A nervous system in the Red Zone is like a car with the gas pedal stuck down.This zone is characterized by action-oriented behaviors (flight, fight, or people-pleasing).
What it can look like in kids: anger, panic, working extra hard to perform or please, aggression, crying, screaming, defensiveness, reactivity, impulsivity, hostility, irrationality, self-centeredness, poor focus, inattention, sleep disturbances, bossiness, tantrums, name-calling, hitting, fidgeting, hyperactivity, and irritability.
Blue Zone
A nervous system in the blue zone is like a car with the brake pedal stuck down.This zone is characterized by passivity-oriented behaviors (freeze).
What it can look like in kids: freezing, zoning out, anhedonia (lack of pleasure), distractedness, sadness, withdrawal, reluctance to explore, emotional numbing, isolation, sulking, crying, fatigue, and apathy.
Here are 2 quick and effective tools to help kids relieve stress and get back to their Green Zone.
Tool 1: Breathing
We all breathe, and yet very few of us are taught how to use our breath. For kids, teaching simple breathing techniques can dramatically increase their emotions regulation while building self-empowerment. It’s also a tool they can use anytime, anywhere!Practice: Hand Breathing
- Hold your hand in front you.
- Starting with at the base of your thumb, use the pointer finger of your other hand to slowly trace up to the tip of your thumb, breathing in slowly as you do.
- Pause and hold your breath lightly as you trace over the top of your thumb.
- Slowly breathe out as you trace back down the other side of your thumb and toward your pointer finger.
- Repeat the process for all your fingers, tracing the full hand. Doing so will give you 5 full, slow, deep breaths.
Tool 2: CPR For the Amygdala
For kiddos who need a little extra interaction and stimulation to stay engaged, CPR for the Amygdala is ideal. The havening touch rapidly calms the body, while the brain games keep them engaged and focuses the mind!Practice: The Havening Hug & Brain Games
Show kids how to do the self-havening touch by crossing your arms across your chest and resting your fingertips on the top of your shoulders, then moving your hands down your arms to your elbows.Kids can also use palm havening by moving their hands as though they’re washing them under warm water, rubbing their palms together slowly.
Pair these motions with one of these suggested brain games to soothe both the mind and the body.
- Sing a song together
- Find 5 square, 5 round, 5 soft, and 5 smooth things in your environment
- Find 2 things in your environment for each color of the rainbow
- Breathe in through the nose like you’re smelling a flower, then out slowly like you’re blowing out a candle 5 times
Want to learn more about using Havening Techniques® with children and teens? Check out Dr. Kate Truitt's YouTube playlist for helpful strategies, exercises, and clinical insight.
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Dr. Kate Truitt, a clinical psychologist, applied neuroscientist, and international bestselling author, is an expert in trauma, stress, and resilience. She is the founder of the educational platform Truitt Institute and leads her award-winning clinical team at Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates. As a member of the Goldie Hawn Foundation’s MindUP Scientific Advisory Committee and a co-developer of the Havening Techniques®, as well as an expert contributor to the Kevin Love Fund and Girl Scouts of America, Dr. Truitt passionately advocates for mental health literacy and personal empowerment globally. Her voice in the mental health arena extends to her role as a speaker and media consultant, including being featured in BBC and Today, and speaking at prestigious platforms like the United Nations and the United States Department of Defense. Dr. Truitt founded and is the chairman of the board for the Amy Research Foundation, a 501c3 organization focused on advancing research into the innovative treatment realm of neuroscience-based mental health and wellness interventions. As the author of her memoir, #1 top new release Keep Breathing: A Psychologist’s Intimate Journey Through Loss, Trauma, and Rediscovering Life and the international bestseller Healing in Your Hands: Self-Havening Exercises to Harness Neuroplasticity, Heal Traumatic Stress, and Build Resilience, she is dedicated to advancing the treatment of traumatic stress while making significant strides in destigmatizing mental health and fostering resilience worldwide.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Kate Truitt is the President and Founder of Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates; Chief Executive Officer of the Trauma Counseling Center of Los Angeles; Executive Director and Founder of the Amy Research Foundation; and Executive Director of the Truitt Institute. Dr. Truitt receives royalties as a published author and compensation as a presenter. She serves as a scientific advisor and board member for Anti-AgingGames.com and the Goldie Hawn Foundation. She also receives speaking honoraria and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. All relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations have been mitigated.
Non-financial: Dr. Kate Truitt is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the American Cognitive Training Association, and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
