Wellbeing

Inner body awareness (interoception) and Self-Regulation

Our bodies constantly send us signals through physical changes like our heartbeat speeding up or slowing down, our muscles tightening, or our breathing shifting. These signals help us understand how we are feeling, whether it’s happy, anxious, hungry, or hot. The ability to notice and interpret these internal cues is called interoception. Developing strong interoceptive awareness helps children recognise when big emotions are building, giving them the chance to regulate before those feelings become overwhelming.

Resources below are designed to support children in building their interoception skills. Research has shown these activities to be effective for both autistic and non-autistic students.

What Are Interoception Activities?

Interoception activities are simple, mindful exercises that help children tune in to their body’s internal signals. The simplest activities involve gently moving parts of the body, such as the hands and feet, while mindfully noticing sensations like stretching or tension.

Each activity takes just 1–2 minutes to complete.For best results, they should be repeated 2–3 times a day over a period of at least 8 weeks.

What Are the Benefits?

Engaging in mindfulness and building interoceptive awareness can help children and young people to:

• Self-regulate their emotions and feelings
• Stay calm and engage effectively with learning
• Develop positive wellbeing
• Improve academic performance

10 Interoceptive activities

1. Hand Stretch Awareness: Gently stretch your fingers wide apart, then slowly relax them. Notice how your hands feel—warm, tingly, tight, or relaxed.
2. Belly Breathing: Place one hand on your stomach and take slow, deep breaths. Feel your belly rise and fall with each breath.
3. Heartbeat Check: After light movement (like jumping or jogging in place), place your hand on your chest and notice how fast your heart is beating.
4. Body Scan: Sit or lie still and mentally scan your body from head to toe, noticing any sensations such as tension, warmth, or calmness.
5. Temperature Awareness: Hold a cool object (like a metal spoon) and then a warm one (like a cup of tea). Notice how the temperature feels on your skin.
6. Mindful Sipping: Take a slow sip of water and pay attention to how it feels moving from your mouth, down your throat, and into your stomach.
7. Muscle Squeeze and Release: Gently squeeze your fists or tense your shoulders for a few seconds, then relax. Notice the difference between tension and release.
8. Heartbeat Hunt: Try to find your pulse in your wrist, neck, or chest. Feel the rhythm and count a few beats.
9. Mindful Movement: Slowly raise and lower your arms, paying attention to how your muscles move and stretch.
10. Emotion Check-In: Pause and notice what’s happening inside—Is your heart racing? Are your shoulders tense? Are you breathing quickly or slowly? Connect these sensations with how you might be feeling (e.g., excited, calm, nervous).

New video series: what the Social Media Age Restrictions mean for your family

We know that staying on top of digital changes can be challenging, especially for busy parents and carers. That’s why we’ve created the Social Media Age Restriction Video Series: a short, voice-led resource designed to help you understand what’s changing, why it matters, and how to support your family through it. 

This four-topic series covers: 

• A delay, not a ban: What the changes mean for your child’s access to social media 
• Why delay social media accounts? Hear directly from a young person on the benefits of waiting 
• How will the age restrictions be implemented? What to expect and how it will work 
• Support, resources and tips to prepare: Practical advice to help your family adjust 

Whether you're watching at home or listening on the go, this flexible format makes it easy to stay informed and confident in your digital parenting journey. 

You can even watch it with your child to start the conversation together!  

Watch the videos now

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CoolKid Psychology

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CoolKid Psychology is a private clinic located in Black Rock, dedicated to supporting children, adolescents, parents, and families. Our clinic provides a comprehensive range of services, including therapy and assessments for a variety of presentations such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, Autism, learning difficulties, and behavioural differences and challenges, such as Pathological Demand Avoidance.

We are pleased to let you know we are currently accepting new clients. We have immediate availability for therapy and assessment services with our experienced psychologists. We also offer telehealth services, making our support easily accessible to families. Our skilled client support team spends time with new clients to thoroughly understand their current needs to ensure they are matched with the clinician best suited to help achieve their goals. 

Josy Reeder

Learning Diversity and Student Wellbeing Leader