Child Anxiety: What to Do If Your Child Is Anxious, Worried or Upset?
✅Talk to your child - Allow them to list out the feelings like a shopping list. Don't ask leading questions, rather, let them express freely.
✅Practice the Mindful 'Check-In' - Ask them to regularly 'check-in' with themselves. The recommendation would be that you do this with your child to begin with until they feel confident enough to do it alone. This will empower them to tune in themselves.
✅Practice the P.N.B. Encourage your child to learn how to pause and breathe - This slows everything down and the more often your child practices this, the more they will be able to use it as a regular skill that is naturally incorporated into their day.
✅Create a worry box - encourage your child to write down anything that is happening for them on a piece of paper and place it in the worry box daily.
✅Create a calm box - This is where your child chooses certain items that make them feel happy or calm.
✅Set up a relaxing space - Set up a relaxing space in your child's bedroom where they can go to when they need to.
✅Remember that these skills have a much better chance of working for your child in a long-term sustainable manner if they are used on a daily basis.
Anxiety is not always a bad thing. But, when we get anxious beyond the level which is good for us, we end up having anxiety disorders, which are distressing and interfere with our normal functioning of mind and body. It is important to keep your child's mental health in constant check and let them know they are not alone and they can come to you and freely express themselves. Working together with the love and support of family and friends can greatly impact on how they cope with worries and stresses.
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