According to the CDC, approximately 5.8 million children in the United States suffer from anxiety disorders. Anxiety can affect children mentally, physically, and socially. Some symptoms of anxiety include breathing rapidly, increased heart rates, gastrointestinal issues, and trouble concentrating. If you are noticing that your child suffers from any of these symptoms, here are some strategies that may help.
Get Back to Basics:
First and foremost, it’s important to get back to the basics. Children should be getting adequate sleep. Children ages 5-12 need 10-11 hours of sleep per night. Studies have shown that children who follow a consistent bedtime routine, tend to have better sleep. Work together with your child to develop a routine that works for your family, and then stick to it. Routines work best when they are followed every day of the week, including weekends.
Your child’s diet should primarily consist of healthy calories. Their diet should include fruits/vegetables, protein, grains, dairy, and healthy fats. Try to limit sugar, saturated/trans fats, and caffeine.
Physical activity is also important for your child’s well being. Your child should have at least 1 hour of physical activity each day. This can include riding bikes, taking brisk walks, or playing sports.
In addition to physical activity, social activity is important for your child’s well being. Finding meaningful friendships and having positive social interactions with friends and family can help with anxiety and depression. Work with your child to see if they can spend time with friends who share similar interests or hobbies.
Stress Relief Strategies:
Mindfulness is the practice of having understanding over your body’s current emotional state and understanding your own feelings and thoughts. Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness can help reduce anxiety and stress.
One way to practice mindfulness is through meditation. Practicing meditation with your child can be a great way to release anxiety and stress. Applications such as Calm or Headspace can be downloaded to your device and can help you and your child to walk through meditation exercises. Other mindfulness activities can include yoga, calm walks, and blowing bubbles.
Learning strategies to calm down can be helpful in reducing anxiety and stress. This includes focusing on taking deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly during stressful moments, or practicing guiding imagery where you visualize a calm happy place. These strategies can help your child feel grounded when they are beginning to feel anxious.
Seek Support:
There are many treatment options for children with anxiety. There are various ways to get therapy support, such as group therapy, 1:1 therapy, and telehealth therapy. There are also a variety of supplements and medications that can assist with anxiety. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information concerning medicine or therapy.
If you have further questions about strategies or therapies, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Children’s Wellness and Developmental Center at 732-919-1335.