Stop Sign Feelings

This episode teaches kids the acronym S.T.O.P. for managing stress, anxiety, or any difficult emotions. S.T.O.P. stands for Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed. The episode starts with a breathing exercise, where we visualize going up and down a hill as we breathe in and out. Then we discuss how road signs tell drivers what they need to know, just like feelings tell us things we need to know. Next, we teach the S.T.O.P. acronym and practice together. We end by saying affirmations.

Transcript

Hello,

I'm Noah and this is Like You,

A mindfulness podcast for kids.

I'm so glad you're here.

Today we'll imagine going on a car ride and learn how feelings are like road signs.

Then we'll use the word stop to help us get through difficult feelings.

So listeners of all ages find a place to listen where you feel comfortable and safe.

As I ask questions and invite you to say affirmations,

You're welcome to speak out loud or as always you can just think your responses quietly in your mind.

So let's get started with a breathing exercise to help us relax and focus our minds.

Imagine you're going up and down a hill as you breathe.

With each breath in,

You go up the hill and with each breath out,

You go down the hill.

You can imagine that you're on a bicycle or riding in a car as you go up and down hill after hill after hill.

Breathe slowly in as you go up the hill and breathe slowly out as you go down the hill.

Now let's add some movement to this breathing.

I'll let you choose if you want to move your whole body or just a single finger.

If you're just moving your finger,

You can use it to trace an imaginary hill,

Curving slowly up as you breathe in and curving slowly down as you breathe out.

Or if you want to use your whole body,

Get up on your feet and when you breathe in,

You'll stand up as tall as you can,

Stretching the top of your head up toward the ceiling.

Then when you breathe out,

Keep your feet firmly planted on the floor and bend your knees,

Keeping your back straight up and down so you end up in a squatting position.

Now that you know what to do,

Let's try a few breaths up and down a hill.

Here we go.

Start with a deep breath in as you stand tall or trace the hill with your finger.

Then,

A long breath out as you squat or trace your finger down.

Now another long breath in,

Heading up the hill and another long breath out,

Going down the hill.

Breathe in and head up the hill.

Breathe out,

Heading down the hill.

Breathe in,

Up the hill.

Breathe out,

Down the hill.

Now one more breath in and one last breath out.

And on the count of three,

We'll all say,

I like me.

One,

Two,

Three.

I like me.

I like you too.

Remember,

You are wonderful just the way you are.

And don't let anyone tell you that you're not.

Even if someone else tears you down using mean words,

Remember those mean words aren't true.

And they don't change what a beautiful person you are inside and out.

Now that we've breathed up and down a few hills,

Let's imagine that we're going on a car ride.

Have you ever gone on a long car ride,

Like a road trip or a vacation where you had to drive for hours and hours?

Where did you go?

When I was a kid,

I loved gazing out the window on long car rides.

It's amazing all the things you see if you pay attention to the places you're passing through.

Have you ever just sat in a car seat and watched quietly out the window?

You might see tall trees,

Rocky cliffs,

Shiny new buildings,

Or old falling apart buildings.

You can ride on bridges over rivers or through dark tunnels that pass through mountains.

I find it relaxing and I love to just let my mind wander as I gaze at the passing scenery.

There's something else you'll see out the window when you're on a car ride.

They're very common,

But as a kid just daydreaming out the window,

They may seem boring or almost even go unnoticed.

I'm talking about road signs.

Road signs tell drivers all sorts of things they need to know.

Speed limit signs tell them how fast they can drive.

Signs with arrows help them know which way to go.

Other signs may tell drivers the distance to the next exit or the next city or what sorts of restaurants they can find nearby.

Still other signs are warnings.

They may warn that the road is bumpy or curvy or steep.

And then there's the sign that might be the most recognizable road sign in the world.

The stop sign.

In most countries all around the world,

A stop sign is an eight-sided shape called an octagon,

And it's almost always red.

So even if you visited a country that spoke another language,

Chances are you could recognize a stop sign even if you couldn't read what it said.

Feelings can be a little bit like road signs.

Just like road signs tell drivers things they need to know,

Feelings can tell you things you need to know about yourself.

So today we'll use the word stop.

S-T-O-P.

To help us get past difficult feelings like anger,

Worry,

Jealousy,

Stress,

Frustration,

Anxiety or nervousness.

Now remember,

None of those feelings are wrong to feel.

Everyone feels all of these feelings sometimes.

But these are feelings that might be difficult or uncomfortable for you.

They may make you feel a little out of control.

But remember,

No feeling lasts forever,

And you can take control of your feelings.

I'm going to teach you a quick mindfulness exercise you can do anywhere,

Anytime,

Using the word stop,

Where each letter in the word stands for something we'll do.

S-T-O-P.

First,

I'll tell you what each letter stands for,

Then we'll talk more about each step.

Here goes.

S-Stop.

T-Take a breath.

O-Observe.

P-Proceed.

The first letter,

S,

Stands for stop.

Well,

That makes it easy to remember.

The first step is to stop whatever you're doing.

So if you're moving,

Stop moving.

If you're holding something,

Set it down.

It may even help to close your eyes for a moment.

Think of it like pressing the pause button on whatever you're doing.

The next letter,

T,

Stands for take a breath.

Taking a deep breath or a few deep breaths can help you calm down and focus more clearly.

I'm sure you know all sorts of great breathing exercises you can try since we start every episode of Like You with breathing,

Like breathing up and down a hill the way we did a few minutes ago.

The next letter,

O,

Stands for observe.

Observe just means pay attention to what's going on around you and inside you.

What feelings or emotions are you feeling?

Can you name the emotion?

How does it feel in your body?

Are you feeling tight,

Tense,

Sore?

Is your tummy tied in knots?

Just take a moment to observe and notice what is happening.

And the last letter is P,

Which stands for proceed.

Proceed means go back to what you were doing.

In other words,

When you're done with stop,

You can go again.

But now you'll be able to proceed with new knowledge about what's going on inside you that can help you make a better decision about what to do next.

Because in real life,

When a car stops at a stop sign,

It might then continue straight ahead,

Just like it was going,

Or it might decide to turn left or turn right instead.

After you do your stop exercise,

You might be able to keep doing what you were doing before,

But now with a calmer feeling inside,

Or you might decide to turn and do something different that can help you feel better.

So the next time you feel a big overwhelming feeling,

Remember to try this stop exercise.

Stop,

Take a breath,

Observe,

Proceed.

S-T-O-P.

But you don't have to be feeling difficult feelings to do this exercise.

It can help to practice it even when you're feeling happy or calm.

So let's try it right now.

Let's see if you can remember all the steps for S-T-O-P stop.

Do you remember what's first?

S is for stop.

Now don't stop the podcast,

But stop anything else you're doing.

And what comes next?

T is for take a breath.

So you can take a few deep breaths now.

And in and out and in and out.

Just let yourself focus on that slow breath in and out.

Now what does the O stand for?

Observe.

Take a few seconds to pay attention to how you're feeling and notice how your body feels.

And what is the last step?

P for proceed.

So we'll proceed with the podcast together.

Why don't we take a turn towards affirmations?

Affirmations are words you can say about yourself to help you remember how wonderful you are.

It's been a while since I've invited a friend to say affirmations with us.

So today let's welcome back Esso to say a few.

Hey,

It's Esso.

Are you ready to say some affirmations?

Listen the first time,

Then say it with me the second time.

I am beautiful inside and out.

I am beautiful inside and out.

I have courage and confidence.

I have courage and confidence.

I am strong on the inside.

I am strong on the inside.

No matter how hard it is,

I can do it.

No matter how hard it is,

I can do it.

There is no one better to be than myself.

There is no one better to be than myself.

Thanks Esso.

Now let's smile and take a few slow,

Deep breaths as we wind down our time together.

And if any of those affirmations stood out to you,

Feel free to write them down or just store them safely in your mind to say whenever you need it.

Right now,

I want to play an affirmation sent to us by a podcast listener.

I'll let him introduce himself and then tell you his favorite affirmation.

Hi,

My name is Caleb and I'm nine years old.

My favorite affirmation is being brave doesn't mean you're not scared.

Thank you,

Caleb.

That's a wonderful affirmation that reminds us that it's okay to feel afraid.

If any other listeners have an affirmation that's special to you,

I would love to hear it.

You can have a grown up check our website or show notes for ways to get in touch and share your thoughts with me.

I can't wait to spend some time together again soon.

Until then,

I like you.

I'm proud of you.

And I'm glad we are friends.

Have a happy and peaceful day.

Like You is written and hosted by me,

Noah Glenn,

And I also composed and performed the Like You theme music and other music that appeared in the episode.

Our podcast cover art was illustrated by Maya Sain and our episode art is created by Lindsey Glenn,

And thanks for listening.