The best tool in my OT toolbox

What is the best tool in my Occupational Therapy toolbox? If you were to ask my past and present students, the pink swing or Hedgie would likely be the top contenders. Having a suspended swing system is certainly a coveted sensory integration tool for occupational therapists, but it is not the best tool in my toolbox. Hedgie? He’s pretty darn cute and offers a soft option for a quiet space to calm and regroup. But he is not my best tool. The best tool in my toolbox is not an object or piece of equipment.

Drum roll…

The best tool in my toolbox, by far, is breathing. Conscious, mindful breathing.

Truthfully, I had never pondered the question of which of my OT tools was the best. The question (and answer) occurred to me during a distance learning session with a kindergarten student.

The recent transition to hybrid learning had been an exciting but dysregulating experience for this first-time student. Therefore, we began with a breathing exercise from the book. Alphabreaths: The ABC’s of Mindful Breathing by Chris Willard and Daniel Rechtschaffen.

S is for Superhero Breath

Breathe in and imagine you are a superhero. Breathe out and imagine how you will help someone.

How will you help someone? This has been a constant and troubling question for me over the past year, as I have had to navigate a new way to deliver services without many of the tools that I had come to rely on. A that moment, I realized that the answer was right in front of me, a kindergarten student practicing “S is for Superhero Breath.” I didn’t need the pink swing or Hedgie to support self-regulation. I had all the that I needed even with the constraints of distance learning.

Conscious breathing as an exercise has the power to reduce stress, calm, improve focus, in other words, self -regulate. Breathing exercises are a step toward managing emotions and behaviors and developing student’s self-awareness. Breathing is a superpower!

The best part? Breathing exercises can be done anytime and anywhere. There is no age limit; however, the younger you start with tour child the better. Begin teaching, modeling and practicing breathing exercises as early as preschool. Practice during periods of calm so that when needed, your child is ready to use the breath. Encourage, notice and name how they (and you) feel before and after. By teaching and modeling conscious breathing for your child, you will be providing them with a life-long tool for healthy self-regulation and ultimately success.

How should you begin with the younger child? A great place to start is to read books together in order to build your child’s (and yours) toolbox. My recommendations include:

·       Calm with the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. A great book for preschool/TK students.

·       Breathe with Me: Using Breath to Feel Strong, Calm and Happy by Marian Gates. Five simple breathing techniques for ordinary but challenging moments during the day. Watch and breathe with the author as she reads her book to elementary students on YouTube. It’s absolutely delightful.

·       Alphabreaths: The ABC’s of Mindful Breathing by Chris Willard and Daniel Rechtschaffen. Practice a fun and novel breath for each letter of the alphabet.

I’d be remiss if I did not mention middle and high school students. You might be surprised to learn your student has likely participated in some form of conscious breathing with their classroom teachers, especially over the last year. Start the conversation and ask them about it. What did they notice?

When I include conscious breathing with tweens and teens, they report feeling calm, less stressed or simply “that was nice.” You know that you are onto something when a tween or teen answers a direct question with more than one word! Though I try to avoid recommending activities that require a screen, there are many popular guided breathing lessons on YouTube as well as phone applications such as HeadSpace or MyLife.

And for your taking the time to read this article to the end, here is my thanks to you.

H is for Hugging Breath

Close you eyes, give yourself a hug, and gently breathe in and out. (Repeat 3 times)

Feels nice, doesn’t it?

Kimberly Bonacum is an occupational therapist for Piedmont Unified School District and owner of Mindful Fidgets, LLC www.mindfulfidgets.com. For additional questions, she can be contacted at mindfulfidgets@gmail.com