12 Apr Anxiety in Kids
At one point or another, we have all come under the clutches of the troublemaker called, Anxiety.
With the current state of the world when social distancing is the norm, it is natural for it to have caught our little ones in its grip too. Kids may become clingy, cranky, or might miss regular school life. Some may express while some may refuse to talk.
Each kid is unique, so what works for one may not work for another, yet here are some small ways to recognize, be there for them and reduce your child’s Anxiety.
1. Manage, don’t eliminate – teaching kids to manage stress better will help reduce their Anxiety.
2. Ask them to become a chatty Cathy. Sometimes verbalizing worries helps release them. Don’t force but ask your child if they want to talk about it and respect their answers.
3. Give positive but realistic encouragement to install confidence and security. E.g., “Yes, while skating, you might fall, but the success lies in those who rise after falling.”
4. Tolerance is key. Fighting the anxious feelings doesn’t eliminate them; alternatively, identifying the stressors and facing the feelings head-on will help release anxious feelings over the person with time.
5. Hug and empathize. Never underestimate the power of a human touch to make your child feel better.
6. Write and Tear or throw away the Anxiety. Please encourage your child to write down their negative feelings on paper to vent, and once done, tearing the paper helps release the stress symbolically.
7. Embrace Balloon breathing. Ask your child to visualize blowing into different balloons. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds and exhale for 4 seconds. Ask them to list their worries on each balloon and let go.
8. Art Attack. Indulge in a painting exercise with the kids. Art has a way of calming the mind, bring our attention to the present moment, and letting go of worries.
9. Dance it off. Nothing works to calm the mind like a dance session. Participate with your child and together dance the Anxiety and worries away.