This is a sponsored guest post.
Unfortunately, anxiety is a very common disorder, even among children. Experts claim that 10-20% of kids experience anxiety symptoms, with an even higher number experiencing stress.
For both children and parents, these statistics are scary. Anxiety is a difficult condition to manage, and very few people are aware of what they can do to help reduce these feelings. It is common for kids to make simple mistakes that help fuel their anxiety.
However, there are plenty of things that you can do to help reduce your child’s anxiety. In this article, we will discuss ways to improve your child’s condition, but keep in mind, every child is different.
- Learn how to Play the Guitar
Believe it or not, but playing the guitar often has a huge impact on the child’s anxiety. Other instruments such as the violin and the piano can also help. Learning the guitar helps free your child’s mind and gives them an opportunity to be able to create music.
To help reduce the spread of Covid-19, guitar teachers are forced to educate their students online. However, due to the world wide web, there are a variety of different ways to learn. For example, if your child wants to learn beatles chords, they can easily find let it be chord on Chordify. This is a website that helps your child search for their favorite tunes.
Some kids who suffer from anxiety often struggle in group classrooms. Learning on streaming platforms like YouTube allows them to learn alone, at their own pace. YouTubers are constantly uploading new guitar tutorials to help people learn from the comfort of their own homes.
Playing a musical instrument is a fantastic way for children with anxiety to make new friends. Also, some children who find it hard to express themselves through words, sometimes find they can release their emotions through music.
- Help them stay Fit by Exercising
It seems like there are lots of things people will recommend to help reduce your child’s anxiety. Some feel herbs work, others swear by therapies and some feel medication is the best option. However, before you start doing any of these things, you must get them to start exercising.
According to research, there are several links between exercise and anxiety such as:
- Children who do not exercise are more likely to suffer from anxiety.
- Most experts claim that exercise is more favorable compared to any other method or medication to help reduce anxiety.
When your child exercises, a chemical is released into the brain that helps lift their mood. These endorphins are sometimes as powerful, if not more powerful than most medications.
Exercise can help calm your child’s heart which helps reduce anxiety. Your child needs to exercise frequently. Exercising sessions don’t have to be too intense, even just a brisk walk on a daily basis will do wonders!
- Teach kids to Talk to Themselves
Okay, this might sound a little strange, your child walking around the place talking to themselves, but bossing back their thoughts and worries is a great way for a child to gain control of a situation.
For example, if your child gets worrying feelings about meeting new people for the first time, they can practice this:
Big crowds are scary because they might laugh at me.
I have been laughed at before and I don’t like it.
Other kids are sometimes nice to me.
Stop Worrying! I might make new friends and play fun games!
If your child is able to manage this, they should be able to control their feelings much better in the future. They will have more confidence going into situations they normally worry about.
- Keep an eye on your Child’s Diet
There are plenty of foods that might contribute to your child’s anxiety. Here are some of the types of foods that should be avoided:
- Fried foods
- Foods that are high in glycemic carbs
- Refined sugars
Some foods will help your child reduce their anxiety such as:
- Whole Grain Foods
- Seaweed
- Blueberries
If you are finding it difficult to control your child’s diet, many parents like to replace unhealthy foods in their home with healthy options. When your child needs a snack, the only choice will be foods that are good for them.
Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly will not only make them feel better mentally and physically, but they will look better too. A child’s appearance, especially once they get a little older is very important for their self-esteem. Kids with low self-esteem often suffer from anxiety.
- Lead by Example
Being the model parent is important to help your child cope with anxiety. If your child sees you getting stressed or showing anxious feelings, it is highly likely your child will act the same. Showing your child how to act in certain situations is vital.
Showing your child that they need to face their fears is important too. When they see the way you can deal with a situation that you might find stressful, they will learn quickly. When your child avoids these situations this helps maintain their anxiety. If your child faces their fears, their confidence will grow and their anxiety will naturally reduce over time.
The human body does not experience feelings of anxiety for a long time. Anxiety normally reduces after approximately 25-45 minutes if you stay in the situation that has caused the anxiety in the first place. If your child constantly avoids anxiety-provoking situations, they will never understand that eventually, these feelings will start to fade away.
- Let your child know that Nobody is Perfect
Most children find growing up challenging, however nowadays, with the modern world filled with screens of beautiful people flashing money and material items that most of us can’t afford, it must be even more difficult. There is very little margin for error nowadays, especially if your child has a social media account. Before smart devices became popular, children feeling anxious often found it difficult to socialize in a large group. Nowadays, social networking allows everybody in their school to pinpoint something imperfect. Comments on these platforms can help increase your child’s anxiety.
Often parents can push their child into sports, school work, and other performance situations which can make things much worse. I am not trying to say that studying is not important because it is, but a child’s mental and physical health should always come first. Pushing a child too hard, especially when they are trying to cope with anxiety is difficult.
Encouraging your kid to work hard in school to get good grades is important, but when they fail, let them know that this is a part of life. Sports might not be their thing, so help them find other ways that can help them release some energy.
Summary
Staying positive with your child will help. It is very easy for a kid to get lost in anxious thoughts and feelings. Every time they make a small bit of progress, reward generously and get very excited.
It’s much easier to feel and act negatively. If your child understands that there are solutions to all life’s problems, they will be much stronger and try to figure problems out themselves. Focusing on what your child is doing right instead of focusing on what they do wrong is vital.
