C. S. Mott Children's Hospital

• 
• My Heart is a Pump?
• Your First Clinic Visit
  • Fun Stuff to Do
  • Tricks to Help You Stay Calm
• Meet the Team
• About Heart Tests
• Helping Hearts Work Well
• Take a Tour
• For Parents

Tricks to Help You Stay Calm

Feeling a little scared? Here are some fun ways to help calm your belly
Sometimes going to the hospital can be kind of scary, and your stomach may feel a little funny. Here are a few ideas that may help you feel better. You may need to practice them a little bit because the more you practice, the better they work. Good luck!

Breathe, baby, breathe

It may seem a little silly, but if you practice breathing in this special way, it really can help you feel calm when you are worried or a little scared.

• First, blow out all of the air you can, kind of like when you are blowing up a big balloon.
• Now, breathe the air in real slow...count to four while you are breathing in.
• Next blow the air out again real slow...count to four again.
• Ok, do the last three steps again.

Now, that wasn't so hard was it? Don't forget to practice.

Your Favorite Place in the world

This is a really good one 'cause it helps you keep your mind off your worries...

• OK, close your eyes. Now think of a special place that makes you very happy.
• Try to remember every little thing about your special place (like how it smells, what it looks like and what it feels like to be there).
• Now, pretend you are in that special place right now. Think about what you are doing, are you sitting? Standing? Or maybe you are lying down. Is someone with you, or are you alone? Is it warm, or cool and breezy?

• If you follow these steps to your Favorite Place, the next time you are feeling a little scared, it might help you feel a little better.

• Listen to your favorite song

• Lots of people love music. Listening to music that you really like can help you feel relaxed. Really listen and think about what you are hearing. Sometimes soft, slow music works best. But it doesn't matter, whatever works best for you is ok... if it’s fast, loud music and it makes you feel calm, then go ahead and listen to that!

• So, practice, practice, practice and soon you'll be an expert!

• Here are few more ideas that you can try and you don't even need to practice these

• 1. Make up a story.
  2. Hold your favorite stuffed animal.
  3. Hug someone.
  4. Hold your mom or dad's hand.
  5. Sing a song.
  6. Laugh out loud.