Anxiousness is a normal part of childhood, and every child goes through it temporarily. However, for some children, (1 in 8 to be exact) the feeling of anxiousness does not go away. And, if experienced along with other symptoms, including a generally low mood, frequent emotional outbursts, and poor concentration at school, this may be the sign of a deeper mental struggles. As a parent, you never want to see your child unhappy. When you see them having anxiety, you naturally feel concerned. You may be wondering what you can do to help them cope with anxiety. Working with an adolescent anxiety specialist near Stonington, Connecticut can help them. From Wisdom Within Counseling, here are a few tips to help you create a calm and supportive environment.
How to Help Your Child Cope with Adolescent Anxiety?
Be supportive
The best way to help your child deal with anxiety is by continually showing your support, without hindering them by being a crutch. The goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety. Instead, your role as a parent is to help your child be okay with it and manage it. When you see your child suffering or unhappy, it’s natural to want to swoop in and take them away from whatever is causing them angst. But, that will only make things worse in the long run because they will never learn how to tolerate their anxiety and function. Essential, working with an adolescent anxiety specialist near Stonington, Connecticut supports them in feeling capable and strong over anxiety. Your child needs to be reminded to believe in themselves.
Normalize fears
Even though you can’t promise your child that their fears are unrealistic, you can express confidence that everything is going to be okay. You can create a calm presence. As well, you can give them anxiety coping tools that they can use to manage to get through the situation. Perhaps, as a parent, you share something you are afraid of to make them laugh. Express to your adolescent, that every time they face their fears, they get stronger. However, facing fears may mean simply talking about the fear or looking a picture of the fear. However, do not force your child to overcome their fear or push them. Naturally, from working with an adolescent anxiety specialist near Stonington, Connecticut, they will feel more confident. Over time their anxiety level will drop from developing coping strategies.
Feel compassion for your adolescent with anxiety
It is important that you try your best to come from a place of compassion when dealing with your anxious child. So, try to see what is going on for them. As well, try not to add to their anxiety by nagging or forcing your opinion. Often, children have anxiety from loud noises or from parents with high levels of anxiety. Pay attention to your child’s feelings and stay calm when they become anxious about a situation or event. Be empathetic and listen to your child’s fears. Then, help them to understand what they are anxious about. Don’t punish mistakes or lack of progress around adolescent anxiety. Instead, encourage them by letting them know that it’s okay to be scared and you are there to help them get through it. Child centered play therapies support children in using their language to talk about stress and anxiety. Many times, children will not talk in the same way an adult does. So, working with a specialist when it comes to anxiety in youth is so essential.
Why pick a specialist?
Many therapies who do not specialize in child and teen anxiety try to make children talk about it. However, at Wisdom Within Counseling, our team believes that children can use music, art, yoga and even drama therapies to act out what they feel. When your child with anxiety needs more support than just you alone, the team at Wisdom Within Counseling can help. Art, yoga, drama therapy, music, and outdoor nature sessions can be a creative part of working with an adolescent anxiety specialist near Stonington, Connecticut.
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Positive role modeling helps adolescents manage and overcome anxiety
The way you personally deal with stress and anxiety also has a huge impact on your child’s ability to cope with it. Let your child or adolescent see you staying calm. As well, talk about your triggers and your self-care strategies openly. When you are faced with stressful, anxiety-inducing moments, let your child witness you handling it calmly. Show your adolescent that you are relaxed and tolerating it, and feeling confident about working through it. Remember, that kids are perceptive. So, they take in your behaviors and actions more than you know. If you are anxious, yell, throw something out of anger, or are critical, your children will mirror and mimic these behaviors.
Relaxation techniques help your whole family
Basic relaxation methods are a great way to help your child reduce their stress and anxiety. When your child is feeling anxious, their breathing changes which causes them to take short, shallow breaths or even hyperventilate. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we help adolescents learn to take deep breaths to calm down. For children, the peaceful peacock breathing skill helps with anxiety. Children can also use a peacock feather to learn to breath deeply for playfulness. Right now, you can use a technique called “calm breathing.” Taking one hand to your belly, you can feel your breathing. Have your child do so too. Then, slow your breathing to lower anxious thoughts. This teaches your child how to slow down their breathing when feeling stressed or anxious.
Lifelong creative art therapy skills from working with an adolescent anxiety specialist near Stonington, Connecticut
This is a tool that once learned, your child can use it anywhere! Instruct your child to take a slow, 4 second breath in through their nose then hold their breath for 2 seconds. Exhale slowly through the mouth for 4 seconds, then wait 2 seconds before taking another breath. This should be repeated for a cycle of 5 to 10 breaths. Ask your child to practice this skill a few times a day until they are comfortable with it. Once they are comfortable with performing the technique, they can begin to use it only in situations that cause anxiety.
Wisdom Within Counseling offers art, yoga, music, drama therapy, and nature therapies for adolescents and their families.
A mixture of creative arts in therapy helps adolescents learn to trust and learn positive coping tools.
Having an anxious child does not mean you are a bad parent. It may add stress to your household, so it is important for you to build a network of support for yourself as well.
With guidance and patience you and your child can get through the anxiety together and your child can go on to live a productive, meaningful life!
