Nexodyne parent card · Character
Calm Box
Ages 8–11 · 5 minutes · You’ll need: Nothing
The calmest person in the room thinks most clearly. Box breathing gets you there in about a minute. Athletes and soldiers use it too.
From our book Steady, chapter 7: Turning trials into triumphs. Free with the 5-minute assessment.
Set up
Sit comfortably, side by side. Practise now while you’re calm, so it’s ready when you’re not.
How to play
- Trace a square in the air with one finger.
- Breathe in through your nose for 4 as your finger goes up.
- Hold for 4 along the top.
- Breathe out through your mouth for 4 going down, then hold for 4 along the bottom.
- Do four boxes, then name a moment when you’ll use one.
What to say
- “Calm first, then decide.”
- “Shall we do a box together?”
Easier: Count to 3 instead of 4, and do two boxes.
Harder: Use a box before something hard this week: a test, a match, a difficult talk.
End with one question: “When could a calm box help you this week?”
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