To calm anxiousness we basically want to calm the nervous system. There are many tools and resources available to help with this task.
Lift Something and Exercise
Exercise releases serotonin in our brain so it can actually improve our mood. It’s also healthy for us to move, getting oxygen into our blood and brain, strengthening our muscles and bones, and flushing toxins out of our system. Aerobic exercise like running or biking are great but simply going for a short walk can help a lot.
Using our muscles is one way to calm. Lifting a heavy object actually has a calming effect on the system. Ask your child to carry a fairly heavy object, within his
capabilities, like a box with some papers or books in it out to the garage for you.
One of the best tools we have found for calming is the door jam bar. Easily installed in any doorway this indoor support bar is strong enough to do pull ups on and has an attachment so you can add a swing or trapeze bar to it. This is especially helpful on rainy days.
There are many door jam bars available, but not all are safe. The bar our occupational therapist told us about that we have had great success with and has a good reputation for being safe is sold by Playaway Toy Company Incorporated. Properly installed the weight limit is 175 pounds. For more information see www.playawaytoy.com or call (715)752-4565.
Indoor swings, floor products and weighted blankets. Weighted blankets can help those with over stimulation to become calm. For an entire list of at-home sensory calming toys, including games get your free guide at, NaturallyRecoveringAutism.com/fun.
Building a rock climbing wall of any size on your property is a great physical and mentally calming exercise for children also. This increases motor skills, mental focus and has a calming effect on the nervous system. There are kits you can buy and build yourself or you can have someone build one for you. More towns are bringing in rock climbing gyms too.
Neurological Switching
We all become neurologically “switched” on a semi-regular basis. Simple actions can cause our neurological system to be come confused and the hemispheres of the brain to disconnect. This is when we become clumsy, confused and easily stressed.
Two ways to regulate neurological switching and balance the hemispheres of the brain are:
- STIMULATING THE NEURO-BALANCING POINTS: Place the fingers of one hand one inch to the right of your belly button. Place the fingers of the other hand over the area just below the inner portion of your collarbone. Simultaneously rub both of these areas for 15-30 seconds or more. Then place your fingers over the same areas on the left side of your body and repeat the stimulation. For a demonstration of this please see my video on YouTube.
- CROSS CRAWL: Sitting or standing place one elbow onto the knee on the opposite side of the body. For example, your right elbow touches your left knee. Then place your left elbow onto your right knee. Continue this “cross crawl” patterning repeating it back and forth several times quickly.
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Calming Acupressure Points
Rubbing the entire outer portion of the ear helps to calm the system via acupressure points. Be gentle when rubbing the ears since it can effect the temporal bones in the head. when temporal bones are displaced they effect speech, mood control, and balance.
Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral Therapy can be very helpful for balancing the bones of the head. Learn how this gentle, yet very effective treatment can help children on the autism spectrum with issues such as anxiety, irritability, speech, digestion, depression, sleep, social capability, sensory overload, headaches, stomach aches, and much more. There are many important aspects to know about how the cranial bones directly affect the brain’s ability to function and what you can do about it. Listen to my full podcast on Craniosacral Therapy For Autism and find practitioners and get my free video tutorial at HERE.
Pediatric Chiropractic
There is a bone in the back of the head called the occiput. When this bone is out of balance it can press on the vagus nerve. When the vagus nerve is effected we can be continually anxious, have digestive issues, and it can effect our appetite. Craniosacral therapy can be very helpful in balancing the occiput, as is a pediatric chiropractor. Please listen to my full interview with a pediatric chiropractor on HERE.
Calming Supplements
Anxiousness comes from many things. External environmental triggers like toxins, but also from internal underlying pathogens and infections. We need to eat right, detoxify and clear underlying pathogens and infections but there are also some natural supplements that can be very helpful during this process and anytime. A good one is stress reducer elixir. This is a tasteless liquid that can be put directly into the mouth or placed in a small glass of water to drink.
Headphones and Noise Reducing Earplugs
Headphones with music or stories the kids enjoy are entertaining and calming too. Noise Reducing Earplugs can be found at Vibes High Fidelity Concert Earplugs.
At Home Allergy Reduction Kits
Always remember that allergies to foods and toxins play a HUGE role in behavior. Natural allergy desensitization can be very helpful. Please listen to my podcast interview on these at-home allergy kits that you can do easily do yourself, At Home Allergy Reduction Kits For The Symptoms of Autism [Podcast Episode #143]. Remember that certain foods and chemicals will make anxiety much worse, so do your best to avoid MSG, aspartame, food dyes, sugar, corn, dairy and gluten.
Mold Triggering PANS
Also, be sure your home is mold free. Mold biotoxins from water damaged buildings can cause many behavioral issues and trigger some autoimmune issues such as PANS too. PANS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. It is when the immune system becomes overactive and begins attacking the brain. This can be triggered by pathogens, toxins and infections. Detoxifying too rapidly can also trigger PANS since the immune system goes into overdrive. Parents may notice a sudden onset of symptoms such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or tiks. Tiks can be motor tiks where their body jerks rapidly, (not wiggling), or vocal tiks. Additional symptoms include separation anxiety, a decline in school such as in their reading and math abilities, simplified language, baby talk, bed wetting, and increased urination, aggression, and anxiety with stress.
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Please also see, The Vagus Nerve and Autism: 5 Ways To Stimulate The Vagus Nerve For Improved Digestion, Calming, and Overall Better Health [Podcast Episode #200]
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