5 Tips for Helping your Anxious Child
A lot of children experience anxiety. They often worry about things and feel scared. Children may become anxious when they are apart from you and may refuse to engage in enjoyable activities because you are not there. Some children experience fear when they are in new situations or around people they may not know. Other children may be afraid of specific things such getting lost or of being attacked by a dog.
Below are 5 tips to help your child who may be experiencing anxiety manage their symptoms.
1. Pay Attention to Physical Sensations
Children who feel anxious aren’t able to tell you that that is what they are feeling. They don’t know what anxiety is. They feel sick. Children may complain that they have a stomachache or a headache. They may say that they feel too sick to go to school. They may feel so “sick” that they are unable to engage in activities that they enjoy doing. Pay attention to when they are experiencing these symptoms as there may be a specific trigger which is causing them to feel anxious. Ask them questions to see if there is something that has them worried.
2. Empathize
Allow your child to express their feelings and validate them. What they are experiencing is real and you don’t want to dismiss them. By you empathizing with them they feel understood and that you will be able to help them feel better.
3. Teach your child ways to relax
Teach your child ways in which they can decrease their anxiety symptoms. Children need to be taught how to relax. Teach your child how to do deep breathing exercises and practice with them. You can easily do this with a stuffed animal. Have your child lay on their back on the floor. Place a stuffed animal on their belly. Ask your child to inhale through their nose for 3 seconds and exhale through their mouth for 5 seconds. Have them notice that when they inhale through their nose the stuffed animal should be rising and when they exhale through their mouth it goes down. Explain to your child that deep breathing exercises will help them feel better when they are worried about something and/or when their belly hurts. Have your child get into the habit of practicing deep breathing exercises daily so that they are able to practice on their own when needed.
4. Exercise
Physical exercise is great for a children’s mental health. Regular aerobic exercise can help your child with managing their anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins which helps improve your child’s mood and energy levels. When a child is exercising, they are focused on what they are doing and distracted from their worries. Aside from being distracted they feel a sense of accomplishment.
5. Sleep Hygiene
Sleep is extremely important. Not getting enough sleep each night may cause children to experience irritability, stress and anxiety. Children 3-10 years of age require between 10-12 hours of sleep each night. It is important to establish a bedtime/wake up routine with your child to ensure that they are getting adequate sleep. A routine with your child should be followed daily, even on the weekend.
Janine Kelly, MSW, LCSW, RPT, CATP, ADHD-CCSP, CCATP-CA is a Registered Play Therapist, Certified EMDR Therapist, and Perinatal Mental Health Therapist in Middlesex, NJ. Janine specializes in childhood anxiety, childhood OCD, childhood trauma, and supporting children who experience neurodivergence such as ADHD and Autism. She also specializes in pregnancy and postpartum mood disorders such as anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, depression, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
*This blog is not a substitute for therapy. To schedule an appointment, please click below.
