A Simple Way to Regain Your Calm

Regain Your Calm

When kids feel anxious, adults naturally want to help. One easy way to regain calm is Belly Breathing. It works for kids and adults and helps the body relax.

Many adults struggle with stress but don’t always know how to manage it. However, youth today are eager to learn how to handle tough situations. That’s good because learning to stay calm is a powerful skill!

What Is Grounding?

Grounding is a way to calm the mind and body by focusing on the five senses—what you see, hear, feel, smell, or taste. It can help with feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, or even panic.

A great grounding technique is Belly Breathing because breathing is something we all do! When you are stressed, your breathing changes. Learning how to breathe in a steady and controlled way can help your body relax.

The Bible says, “The life of every living thing is in His hand, and the breath of every human being.” (Job 12:10) This reminds us that breathing is both important and powerful. When we breathe better, we feel better.

Essential Steps For Belly Breathing

Before you begin, check in with yourself or your child using the 3 A’s:

1. Awareness – Notice your breathing. Is it fast or slow? Shallow or deep?
2. Alertness – Stress can make breathing quick and uneven. Pay attention to these changes.
3. Action – Once you notice stress, take steps to calm down. If you’re helping a child, guide them through it.

How to Guide Belly Breathing

If you’re helping a child, follow these steps:

• Make Eye Contact – Get down to their level so they feel safe.
• Use a Calm Voice – Speak slowly and gently. Ask them to listen to you.
• Engage Their Senses – Encourage them to watch you and focus on their breathing.

Steps to Belly Breathing

1. Breathe in slowly while counting to four. Imagine filling your belly like a balloon.
2. Hold that breath for four seconds.
3. Breathe out slowly through pursed lips (like blowing through a straw). Use your belly muscles to push all the air out.
4. Repeat at least seven times.

If you’re helping someone else, count out loud in a steady, calm voice. If you’re doing it alone, count silently in your head.

Why a Cycle of Seven?

Seven cycles include inhaling, holding, and exhaling slowly as if through a straw. This cycle helps your body start to reset. When stressed, your brain gets less oxygen because your body enters “survival mode.” This makes it harder to breathe deeply and makes the anxiety worse.

Belly Breathing interrupts what is out of rhythm and reintroduces a cycle of steady breathing to help your body return to normal. 

Here’s what happens:

• First three breaths – Your brain starts getting more oxygen and still feels on alert.
• Next two breaths – Your brain realizes it is safe to relax.
• Last two breaths – Your body shifts from a stress and survival mode back to a 

stable mode of feeling safe.

If you still feel anxious, keep breathing until you feel better.

Belly Breathing Helps You Stay in Control

This simple technique helps your body and brain work together to stay calm. With practice, you can use Belly Breathing anytime you feel anxious or overwhelmed. It’s a great tool to help you feel better and stay strong!

©2026 All Rights Reserved Veronica Sites

Veronica Sites is a diverse author available for virtual coaching, guest interviews for podcasts, and speaking engagements as a subject matter expert on Stress Management, Building Resilience, Peer Support, Suicide Prevention, and Parent mentorships.