Author: Nicole A. Tetreault, PhD

Bright children may be more prone to anxiety due to intensified imagination, heightened emotional and sensory processing, and altered brain circuitry. Unrecognized anxiety can lead to physiological and behavioral symptoms, misdiagnosis, and chronic stress. Holistic interventions, CBT, mindfulness, exercise, sleep, and supportive parenting help reduce anxiety and build resilience.

This post explains loving-kindness meditation: a practice cultivating kindness toward all experiences and beings. It guides a simple meditation—focusing on the heart, breathing, and sending intentions for safety, happiness, ease, and self-acceptance—then shifting those intentions toward oneself, with additional phrases and single-word mantras.

This short guided mindful-breath practice outlines a simple three-part exercise to bring awareness to the present moment. Steps guide posture, breath awareness, body scanning, tracking inhalation and exhalation, counted breathing, and reopening awareness. It can be done anywhere and repeated as needed.