Research has found that that the anterior cingulate cortex isn’t as equally activated in ADHD brains as it is in non-ADHD brains.
Regulating one's emotions is a complex process requiring abilities and skills. It requires impulse control, self-soothing and the ability to divert your attention away from the negative emotion. And, kids have difficulties doing so.
There are five tips for helping your child regulate their emotions :-
1) Using Distractions - If your child is unable talk through their emotions at that point help them pick something stimulating, soothing or distracting (eg: listening to music, a video game)
2) Practicing Deep Breathing - This calms the body and gives it a break from the overwhelming emotions
3) Encourage Movement - Emotions have energy and sometimes it is hard to calm down. Encourage your child to run or dance or engage in an activity that makes their heart rate accelerate.
4) Prioritize Eating And Sleeping - Ensure your child is sleeping well and eating foods that are high in nutrients. Sleep deprivation and poor nutrition have been associated with lower frustration tolerance, higher emotionality, less ability to soothe and being more easily triggered by events.
5) Create A Flowchart - A flow chart would help the child to identify the primary emotion underneath their outburst. Start the flow chart with the event, thought, situation or interaction that triggered your child’s negative emotion. ( It might’ve been a bad grade, an argument with a friend or anxiety about an oral book report. Then ask: “How did you feel?” or “What did that lead to?”)
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Category(s):Child and/or Adolescent Issues
Source material from PsychCentral
