Does your little one struggle with anxiety on a regular basis? Unfortunately, many children with diagnosed anxiety suffer from panic attacks, anxious thoughts and high levels of stress over everyday occurrences. If you’ve already talked to your pediatrician and stocked up on Brillia child anxiety medication over the counter as recommended by your doctor, you may be wondering what more you can do to help alleviate your child’s anxiety. If this is the case, try these five tried-and-true methods.
1. Teach Your Child Helpful Breathing and Meditation Exercises
For young children, just as for older adults, learning breathing and meditation techniques can make a world of difference for managing anxiety. If you want to equip your child with coping mechanisms when feelings of anxiety arise, you may wish to:
- Practice stretching or yoga with your child for 15 or more minutes every morning
- Teach your child how to meditate to help calm themselves down
- Discuss the importance of everyday mindfulness and self-reflection
- Teach your child to take deep breaths and count to ten
2. Reduce Your Kid’s Screen Time and Encourage Creativity and Outdoor Play
If you’ve ever wondered how screen time affects childrens anxiety, you may have been on to something. Studies have shown that kids who spend excessive amounts of time in front of screens at the expense of outdoor time or creative play may be at higher risk of experiencing anxious feelings. Try limiting your child’s daily screen time and encourage him or her to get outdoors or play creatively inside instead.
3. Visit a Psychologist To Identify Potential Cognitive Distortions
If your child has been dealing with anxiety attacks for a while and tends to voice negative thoughts, you may want to take him or her to a specialized psychologist. These professionals can help assess your child’s situation and teach him or her to identify and avoid:
- Persistent negative self-thoughts
- Constant catastrophizing
- Panic attacks over seemingly inconsequential issues
- Difficulty seeing the bright side of any given issue
4. Address Ongoing Home or School Issues That May Be Part of the Problem
Even if you’ve read up on child anxiety and know the difference between a tantrum and a meltdown, you may not yet have taken the time to step back and consider whether your child’s school or home situation may be contributing to his or her anxiety. Problems such as stress and bullying can exacerbate anxiety. Take some time to search for potentially deeper causes that need to be addressed.
5. Get Your Child Into a Calming Routine To Help Soothe Him or Her
Having a calm bedtime routine can help soothe any child and reduce the risk of anxiety attacks. To give your child a pleasant evening routine, try:
- Bedtime stories
- Warm bubble baths
- Hot tea or milk with honey
- Playtime with stuffed animals or other favorite toys
- Cozy pajamas and a pleasant sleeping environment
Treating your child’s anxiety and helping to alleviate his or her symptoms may seem difficult, but can be accomplished through a combination of targeted approaches and steadfast patience. Try these five steps to help soothe your child and equip him or her to deal with everyday stressful situations.