By Brett Lechtenberg
Many times when children are being bullied, they become filled with fear and panic, and rightfully so. This also happens to adults if they are in a threatening situation. However, what most people don't know is how to effectively manage their fear and their feelings of impending doom.
One way to manage feelings of fear is through breathing techniques. There are many versions of effective breathing, but just keep it simple with your kids so they can be successful quickly. Here is what you do.
Simply practice breathing with your child using a simple five count formula. This is very similar to the method I teach in my anti-bully program.
Step 1: Work with your child and teach them to take a slow deep breath and fill their lungs with plenty of fresh air while slowly counting to five. When they reach the count of five their lungs are full and they simply hold their breath.
Step 2: Have your child practice holding their breath for a while, again slowly counting to five.
Step 3: Have your child practice breathing out all of the oxygen in their lungs for a five count. When all the oxygen is out they stop breathing without taking another breath.
Step 4: After they have successfully pushed out as much air from their lungs as possible, make sure they practice holding their breath for five more seconds before beginning to breath in again as in step one.
Step 5: Repeat steps one through four, three more times, for a total of four controlled breaths.
This and other similar forms of breathing have been taught for centuries in a variety of programs, from meditation programs to Yoga. This type of breathing is even taught to military combatants to help them remain calm so they can focus on the task at hand and prevent themselves from being killed in combat due to panicking and doing something that puts them in harm's way.
Now, as you train your child you can breathe with them. While you are breathing with them simply hold your hand closed and put it up where they can see it. Approximately every 1 second pop open one finger until your hand is completely open. Although you will not be able to count out loud because you are breathing, your child will learn to count your fingers and get a sense of the necessary timing.
When the time comes that your child is stressed or scared by a bully, or anything else, they will be able to use this technique to control their emotions and think through the proper plan of action that will get them away from the stressor or whatever else may be causing them fear.
Brett Lechtenberg is Utah's top expert on safety. He has trained thousands of people to empower themselves physically and mentally with his karate program at Personal Mastery Martial Arts and through his anti-bullying program. Learn more at Brett's websites http://www.antibullyprogram.com or http://www.sandymartialarts.com
About Author & Article Source: Brett Lechtenberg