Month: February 2023

Help teens manage and relieve their stress and anxiety.

1 in 3 11-16 year olds admit to being stressed most of the time?

A survey completed by the NSPCC showed that school and loneliness were the main culprits.

Our Stress Buster album for teens aims to help combat these problems and  help teens relax and de stress

In an average secondary school of 1000 pupils according to young minds

100 have self harmed by the age of 16

100 will be suffering from mental health problems and experiencing significant stress

50 pupils will be seriously depressed

20 pupils will have obsessive compulsive disorder OCD

10 will have an eating disorder

5-10 are likely to attempt suicide

Encourage your teen to take some time out.

The Stress Buster mp3 can be used before and after school, at bed time or in the classroom.

Each track is a unique exercise that will engage teens and help them let go of worries and anxieties.

Techniques such as body relaxation NLP, visualisation, colour therapy and muscle relaxation are all used to help teenagers relax.

It is only available from Relax Kids – https://relaxkids.com/product/stressbusters/ 

How to help an anxious child.

Anxiety is becoming an increasing problem amongst adults and children.  It can affect anyone at any time.  

Research has shown that 1 in 6 children may suffer from anxiety at some point in their life.  

Anxiety can range from separation anxiety, social anxiety to fears and phobias.

If anxiety becomes very severe, it can affect children to the extent that they do not want to go to school, cannot learn and concentrate and lose confidence in social situations.

Here are some signs of anxiety

• Feeling fearful or panicky
• Feeling breathless, sweaty, or complaining of `butterflies’ or pains in the chest or stomach
• Feeling tense, fidgety, using the toilet often.

It is important to help children manage their anxiety as soon as possible before it increases and affects all aspects of their life.

Relax Kids have developed a CD and resource pack to help children manage their anxiety.  Regular listening can also help prevent the onset of anxiety.

The CD has 10 relaxation techniques designed to help children manage their anxiety.  The resource pack which is only £10.99 is instantly downloadable and is the full album on mp3 as well as tips, exercises and activities to help children manage their anxiety. You can buy the pack here – https://relaxkids.com/product/anxiety-support-pack/

You really need to try this…

Have you ever heard of the term ‘Shinrin-yoku’? It means ‘absorbing nature’ or ‘forest bathing’. The term originates from Japan during the 1980’s and has become the foundation of preventive health care and healing within Japanese medicine.

The idea behind it is simple: if one simply takes in and appreciates nature in a relaxed state of mind, there will be calming, rejuvenating and restorative benefits to be achieved.

There is even scientific proof that ‘forest bathing’ is beneficial for your health, from reduced stress, improved mood, an increase in energy levels and improved sleep. No matter who you are, male or female, adult or child, this is really going to benefit your happiness and well-being.

Getting in touch with nature is something we should all try to commit more time to. Sometimes the pressures of work or school can inhibit us from doing so, but absorbing nature really isn’t as difficult as you think it may be.

Go for a walk on the weekend, or in the evening. Feel the crunch of the ground beneath your feet, listen to the birds chirp and admire the beautiful colours of nature. Even if you can’t make it to a quiet, picturesque setting, you can spend time in your garden. Plant some vegetables or even just breathe in the fresh air.

It’s important to get children outside as much as possible, to stimulate their brains away from all the technology distractions they face in today’s world. Try and encourage them to notice the small things in nature, such as the shapes of a leaf, the direction a stream is flowing or the sounds they can hear.

Getting in touch with nature is more important than you think, and we can’t encourage you enough to submerge yourself in it as much as you can.

Anxiety and worry amongst children is rife.

Children worry about death and losing loved one and pets, parents arguing, world disasters, school, being bullied, not fitting in, falling out with friends and going to the doctors and dentists.

It is important to address children’s worries before they escalate.  

Simple relaxation exercises, alongside talking to your child about their worries, can make a huge difference.

Relax Kids have designed a wellbeing pack to help your child manage their worries and anxieties.

Activities such as progressive muscle relaxation, visual imagery, positive affirmations and breathing techniques have been used to help reduce stress and anxiety in children.

Relaxation strategies have been shown to be extremely effective treatment components for reducing anxiety and worry in children and young people.

If you would like to download your FREE wellbeing pack full of exercises and techniques to help manage anxiety and bring calm to your home visit www.relaxkids.com/wellbeing

Keep the romance alive even if you are busy with work and parenting

Here’s one for the adults!

It can be pretty difficult to find time to keep romance alive when we are all so busy. There is the argument that we should all create small moments with cuddles and laughs throughout the whole year to appreciate the ones we love but for those of us who need a little reminder – Valentine’s day is here. But stay calm – we dont have to splash out on lavish gifts or expensive gestures just because the card shops tell us to! It’s the little things that count. Here is some inspiration for your V-Day:

DIY Spa: You dont have to be a trained masseuse to give your partner an indulgent experience. Why not take turns to give each other the treatment of choice? Team that with a glass of your favourite tipple and your favourite CD and you are quids in!

Pyjama Party: Spend the whole day in your pyjamas. Bring the duvets down and spend the day doing nothing – or whatever your version of nothing is, whether that be chatting, watching a dvd or listening to your favourite singer.

Hit the cinema: Remember the old days before you had kids when going to the cinema was a regular treat. Why not re-visit those days.

Make your own gifts: Head to a craft store together and give each other a budget and a time deadline in which you have to create something for the other person. It will keep you busy all day and give you something fun to talk about at night as you reveal what you have made for one another!

Long Lasting Flowers: Buy / make flowers instead of spending lots on real ones. This way they can be a reminder all year round of your love for each other and won’t need to be replaced so quickly. You could set up a tradition where you put one flower in the vase each year and take turns supplying it and watch your love grow over the years!

Have a wonderful Valentine’s weekend,

With love from everyone at RK x

It is so important that children are given the chance to switch off completely.

Send your child to a fun weekly class where they learn skills for life!

Our classes incorporate the unique 7-step system devised by Marneta Viegas – founder of Relax Kids.  

The system takes children from a high energy to a low energy where they are able to lie down on the floor and completely let go and relax.  

Parents are always amazed that it really does work!

Sessions include movement and dance, fun and relaxation games, stretching, peer massage, breathing, affirmations and visualisations.

Each week, children go on a magical adventure which engages their mind as well as body.  

Although they are learning valuable relaxation skills, the key focus is on having fun whilst calming down.

‘My Mum said It was the best thing ever to send me to relax Kids.’  Belinda Age 7

‘It makes me feel as if I am floating on a cloud.’ Georgie Age 6

Sign your child up for one of our magical classes today!

In the last 10 years there has been a rise in meditation and relaxation in schools as teachers are recognising the huge benefit that it has on pupils, staff and the general atmosphere of the classroom.

There have been over 1,000 published research studies showing that various methods of meditation have been linked to changes in metabolism, blood pressure, brain activation, and other bodily processes.

With the mountains of research available, it is clear that regular meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety as well as improve pupils self confidence and emotional resilience. 

However some still do associate meditation with religion and so are concerned about introducing it into the classroom.

Most religions including early Christianity have used meditation and contemplation as part of the spiritual practice.  However simple modern meditation techniques do not include religious material and can be used by children of all faiths.

Here are just some reasons to introduce meditation and relaxation into your classroom

Improves academic performance

Improves intelligence 

Improves concentration and attention

Gives pupils tools to cope with stress and anxiety that can impact school work

Pupils who meditate have been shown to be happier

Meditation can help pupils feel more positive about themselves