Everyone, even children, should have the skills of psychological self-help in war conditions!
Such a task is set for themselves by psychologists who work in children's spaces operating within the PROMESSA project: "Pearl" — in Novovodolazka, "Kryla" — in Zlatopilska, "Zherelo" in Tomakivska communities.
After all, children can also experience crisis situations - witness shelling and losses, receive bad news. Therefore, it is important to have effective methods of stress reduction and self-regulation.
Breathing exercises and grounding will be useful here.
- "Breathing the square"
This technique restores the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body and calms the nervous system. Imagine a square in front of you or find with your eyes any square object (window, screen, picture) and move your gaze along its faces, taking a 4-second breath and a 4-second delay.
- Exercise "Big butterflies"
This technique combines uniform breathing with tactile self-stimulation. Helps straighten the lungs, remove the physical clamp in the chest and saturate the body with oxygen. In a deep breath, spread your arms smoothly and widely to the sides, lifting them up like large butterfly wings. On a slow exhalation —, lower your arms just as smoothly and completely relax your shoulders. Repeat movements synchronously with breathing.
- "Physical grounding"
"Feel the feet": Stand straight. Feel your feet touch the floor. Stomp your feet, roll from your heels to your toes. Imagine that from your feet into the ground goes strong roots that hold you.
Physical contact: Squeeze your fists firmly for 5 seconds and then relax your fingers completely. Repeat several times. You can also hug your shoulders with your hands (self-hugs).
Temperature shock: Wash your face with very cold water or hold an ice cube in your hands. The change in temperature instantly returns the brain's focus to physical sensations.
The project "PROMESSA: Protection of children, response to emergency situations and health care for the most vulnerable families affected by the conflict in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions" is implemented by the NGO "Association of Democratic Development" in partnership with the branch of the "Ter des Om Italy ETS" foundation in Ukraine(TDH Italy) Terre des Hommes Italia in Ucraina. The project is financed by Italian Cooperation. And it is implemented with the aim of strengthening mental health and improving the social adaptation of children and their families who suffered from the war in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
