Mastering this skill now will change how you feel for good!

If you’ve ever watched your child experience big feelings—whether it's anxiety, frustration, or overwhelm—you know how difficult it can be to help them restore calm. That's where functional breathing comes in, one of the key tools in our Emotion Potion formula to support children in managing their emotions.

Breathing is one of the few things we can control, yet most of us don’t think twice about it. But did you know that how we breathe directly impacts our autonomic nervous system—the part of our body that controls our stress response? When your child is feeling overwhelmed, they may start shallow, rapid breathing (often through the mouth), which signals the body to go into “fight or flight.” This is when emotions take over and big feelings can feel impossible to manage.

The good news? Breathing correctly can hijack that stress response and reset the nervous system. Encouraging nasal breathing—breathing through the nose rather than the mouth—activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the body and mind. This simple change can make all the difference, helping your child transform anxiety into a sense of calm.

Now, here's the catch: more children are becoming habitual mouth-breathers, especially with the rise of screen time and sedentary lifestyles. This can lead to a host of issues—think poor posture, decreased oxygen flow, and even sleep disruptions. But with a little guidance, nasal breathing can be a game-changer for their emotional health and overall well-being.

And for us adults? If you’re wondering how to improve your own breathing habits, try mouth taping at night! Yes, you read that right. It’s as quirky as it sounds, but it helps train us to breathe through our noses while we sleep, improving our health and ensuring a better night’s rest.

The Emotions Lab