Mindful Moments for Kids with MCAS
For children navigating the complexities of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), mindfulness can be a powerful tool to foster well-being, resilience, and a sense of calm.
As part of our mission, we want to empower children with MCAS to build a toolkit of mindful practices to navigate the challenges they may encounter. Whether your child is newly diagnosed or has been living with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, these activities are designed to foster a sense of connection, calmness and peace.
We understand that every child's health journey is unique, and we are here to offer support. While mindfulness can be a valuable tool for enhancing your child's well-being, it is important to recognise that it is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Always consult with a healthcare professional for any concerns about your child's health.
Positive Affirmations
Research has proven that regularly practicing affirmations has many mental and physical benefits, including decreasing stress, boosting feelings of optimism, and strengthening resilience. Affirmations are positive statements or mantras that you repeat to yourself, either silently or out loud. When they are repeated consistently, positive affirmations can help “rewire” your brain to support the changes you are hoping to achieve by using them.
We have given some simple ideas below, to start you off:
I am smart, amazing, and powerful.
I don’t need to worry. I can try again.
My heart is full of kindness and courage.
The Emotion Octopus
This craft is suitable for any animal, not just an Octopus.
It serves as an excellent rainy day activity for kids, allowing them to unleash their creativity. The crafted creature can feature a variety of amusing faces and emotions, and children can splash on any and every color in the rainbow if they wish.
Beyond its artistic appeal, once it has been made it can then be used as a tool when it comes to talking about or coping with emotions.
You can find a list of what you will need and watch a step-by-step on how to make the Octopus here.
Build-a-Face Story Stones
Children might find it challenging to talk about their feelings or show them in a way that others can understand.
Grab some rocks and turn them into little emotion buddies with eyes, noses, and mouths showing different expressions.
Next, draw a big oval "face" on paper for the rocks to sit on.
Get the children to make faces using these story stones and then chat about the feelings they've created.
You can read more about how to create and use the stones here.
Rainbow Walk
For those children that are OK with the outside elements, this is a great mindulness activity to move the body and rest the mind.
Take a walk, and look for something red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Keep going through the colors of the rainbow, until the end of your walk.
You could:
Bring a sketchbook - even if you're not an artist, this will help you really focus on what you're looking at; or
Write in your journal about the things you noticed and how they made you feel.
You could encourage everyone to do it in silence and then compare what they found when you get back home.
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