Anxiety is a prevalent mental health condition in children nowadays. Unlike the good old days of yore, when children studied at school, played in open fields, and spent time with family, kids of the 21st century have it harder. From various triggering social, environmental, to academic and familial stimuli, modern kids must bear through multiple engagements throughout the day with an increasing, invisible load of worries on their soldier. Previously, marks and performance had never been as much of a concern as today. This is both good and bad, as the former highlights achievements while the latter is reputed for increasing exam pressure. Therefore, kids are highly susceptible to childhood anxiety, whose symptoms if left unchecked, may develop into an anxiety disorder. So, parents must start developing resilience and increasing empathy in kids to help them combat anxiety. Some common signs of anxiety in children include.
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- Being Restless
- Shaky Breaths
- Butterflies In Stomach
- Racing Heart
- Racing Thoughts
- Dry Mouth
- Sweaty Palms
- Tense Muscles
- Loss Of Appetite
- Irritability
- Lack Of Proper Sleep
- Throwing A Fit When Plans Change
- Using The Toilet Often
- Lack Of Concentration
- Head and Tummy Aches
Tips To Build Resilience And Combat Anxiety In Kids
An interesting reason parents prefer inculcating resilience in kids to combat anxiety is the complementary nature of the two. While anxiety is fear of the unknown, resilience is a state of mind that accepts any unknown changes in life and is ready to face them, no matter what. This is why when kids develop resilience from an early age, anxiety cannot traverse near their mental territory. Check out these tips to build resilience and tame anxiety in kids.
1. Acknowledge Negative Emotions And Teach Them How To Deal With It
Anxious children tend to engage in negative self-talk and unhappy emotions. But dismissing or denying them does not solve the problem. Acknowledging their mindset and offering an alternate view does. Also, anxious children tend to do well in creative or physical pursuits as it helps them deal with their excessive nervous energy and negative emotions healthily.
2. Help Them Get Independent
Help your kids become independent. From tying their own shoelaces to cutting the crusts off their own bread, these small, yet basic tips help your kids gain confidence in themselves while possessing enough skills to survive an emergency alone. Becoming independent will also foster resilience in children and lower fear of the unexpected or unknown.
3. Improve Their Social Skills
Improving social skills also helps develop resilience in children. If your kids have friends, talking and spending time with them will help control their anxieties, while blossoming resilience and understanding. Also, kids help bring each other out of their shells, imbuing each other with the contagious spirit of courage and camaraderie.
4. Try Mindfulness And Meditative Breathing
Introduce your anxious children to the golden mine of mindfulness and meditation. Their naturally fortified mental resilience will thank you soon. Also, since anxiety focuses on the future and the unknown, while mindfulness and deep breathing make one aware and appreciate the present, they are a great way of combating the former. Try to incorporate 15 to 30 minutes of mindful thinking and meditative breathing into your anxious child’s daily schedule and watch them bloom in no time.
5. Use Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement works like magic with children, when done correctly. All you need to do is reward any small success or good behavior on their part. It can be with appreciative words, hugs, privileges, or rewards, depending on the quality of the good deed. This will automatically motivate good behavior on your kid’s part while improving their self-esteem levels as they know good deeds and bravery are rewarded in the family.
6. Be Consistent In Affection And Discipline
It is important to be consistent with children, whether in showing affection, using positive reinforcement, or disciplining and scolding them. Children develop anxiety when they are unsure of the emotional outcome of their primary caregiver. Sure, a surprisingly accepting reaction to an average score result is acceptable, otherwise, maintain consistency when doling out affection and punishments to develop resilience in children and eradicate anxiety.
7. Maintain Open Communication
Open communication is key to reducing anxiety and building resilience in kids. Most children are too scared of their parents to share anything with them. Change the narrative, be their backbone when it comes to being fun or saying no to unsafe situations. Creating a safe space for talking about anything is important for children as it can lighten their minds and hearts while solving many problems before they bloom.
Conclusion
Resilience is an important trait to master in kids, to prevent occurrence and lower levels of anxiety. This guide’s tips are easy to practice and master in no time, so start building resilience in children now to avoid combating anxiety and poor mental health in the future.
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
