Good morning,
You're on your way to school.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
And let it out slowly through your mouth.
Let's do that again,
Inhale,
And exhale.
You might be sitting on the bus,
In a car,
Or walking.
However you're getting to school,
This moment is just yours.
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to be,
Just breathing.
As you take another slow breath in,
Notice the air moving in through your nose,
Filling your chest and your belly.
As you breathe out,
Imagine releasing some of the tension that might be sitting in your body,
Like letting go of heavy air.
You might feel your heart beating faster today.
Maybe your stomach feels tight,
Or your mind keeps jumping ahead to what might happen next.
A test later,
A PE class,
A presentation you have,
Seeing a friend that you might have a conflict with.
That's okay.
Those are just signs that your brain and your body are trying to protect you.
They think something big is coming.
You can remind them right now,
I'm safe.
Say that quietly to yourself,
In your head,
Or out loud.
I'm safe right now.
Take another deep breath in,
And out.
Let's do a short grounding exercise together.
Look around if your eyes are open,
Or imagine if your eyes are closed.
Find five things you can see.
Maybe it's the color of the seat in front of you,
The sky through the window,
The way the light hits the trees,
Maybe the color of your backpack.
Now notice four things you can feel.
Your backpack against your legs.
Maybe your jacket is on your shoulders,
The floor under your feet,
The seat under your legs.
Next,
Listen for three sounds.
The hum of the engine,
A horn on the road,
Perhaps a distant siren,
The sound of other people talking,
Or even your own breath.
Then notice two things you can smell.
Coffee,
Shampoo,
Fresh morning air.
And finally,
Think of one thing you're grateful for.
It can be small,
Like the song playing on the radio,
Or a friend you'll see today,
Or your favorite shirt being clean.
Each time you ground yourself like this,
You send a message to your body.
I'm here.
I can handle this.
Now imagine a warm light at the center of your chest,
Steady and glowing.
This light represents your steadiness,
Your ability to come back to center no matter what the day brings.
With every breath that you take in,
The light grows a little stronger.
With every breath out,
It softens the edges of your worry.
Take another deep breath in,
Filling your belly,
Feeling that calm light spread all the way up to your shoulders,
Down your arms,
And your hands.
As you breathe out,
Feel yourself relaxing into the day ahead.
If your mind starts to race about what might happen,
Tests,
Friends,
Teachers,
Schedules,
Come back to your breath.
You don't need to solve anything right now.
You just need to arrive.
Calm,
Steady,
Open.
Say quietly to yourself,
In your mind,
Or aloud,
I can handle today.
I am growing.
I can start again whenever I need to.
Let those words settle inside you as you take one more slow,
Steady breath in,
And one long breath out.
As your ride continues to school,
You don't have to feel perfectly calm,
Just a little more anchored.
The calm you created here travels with you right into your first steps of school.
You're ready for the day.
You can do this.
