Stay Calm in a Crisis: Breathe

Your teen is freaking out: what can you do to help? Once they’ve used up the excess adrenaline by moving, they need to breathe. Of course, they’re technically already taking in air, but they need to force themselves into deep, rhythmic breathing to turn on the parasympathetic or “relaxed” nervous system. Breathing slowly in and out restores blood flow, which gives the brain the ability to think once again. Help them “flip the switch” and get themselves relaxed by breathing in, holding, breathing out, and holding again, all for a count of four seconds each.

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