Healing Negative Experiences Through Tension Release

Written and Narrated by Carmen Viktoria Gamper. Editor's Note: While this article is written with children in mind, its precepts may be applied to "non-children" (a.k.a. adults) in "grown-up" situations as well. Tension release is a significant part of self-healing in children and adults, and it is unavoidable when we become more present with ourselves in flow experiences. Children who go to a less than ideal school are in a daily reality that doesn’t respect their most pressing genuine developmental needs for movement, exploration, spontaneous play, and connection. Of course, this creates inner tension. During the many school mornings of sitting, listening, and trying to focus, children increasingly lose touch with their genuine needs and curiosity. Their parents or significant caregivers are often the only ones they can turn to when they need support. Having True Allies Most of all, children need adults who are true allies, whom they can trust to love them exactly as they are. If they have this deep bond with at least one significant adult, parent, teacher, grandparent, or friend, children will develop a strong inner core and the skills to face all challenges. Younger children naturally release tension during spontaneous play, self-talk, and time in nature. If your child still plays and talks during play—no matter how old they are—that’s a very good sign that their tension release mechanisms still work well. Older children often stop playing and need different forms of tension release to express their frustration. Allow them to vent and complain, while you listen with patience and understanding. Computer games and other screen time aren’t ideal forms of tension release. Due to the screen’s addictive potential, and the passivity of the body during screen time, it may create more tension. Stay with a child until they feel better. You can offer ways of tension release as described below. Nine Ways To Help Your Child Release Tension... Continue Reading at InnerSelf.com (plus audio/mp3 version of article) Music By Caffeine Creek Band, Pixabay Copyright 2020 by Carmen Viktoria Gamper. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission: New Learning Culture Publishing