What Is Anxiety? Ways To Deal With Anxiety In Children

Am I anxious, how do I deal with it?

Feeling anxious has been reported as a very basic experience by most teenagers with a kind of behavioral symptoms being exhibited. It is possible, however, for worry to become more daring emotionally, than these everyday beliefs. While it is a normal part of life to experience occasional anxiety due to different factors, one must be able to know its triggers and be able to cope with them. 

Anxiety has been reported as one of the numerous common psychological disorders in school-aged children plus adolescents worldwide. It usually arises when there is a disproportionate worry to a recognized challenge resulting in important distress. Common anxiety-provoking circumstances in a student’s life would include stress in coping with studies, having fewer friends, peer pressure, lack of confidence with parents, concerns among weight, and other associated circumstances. 

As every child is unique also distinct from the other, they may exhibit various signs of anxiety that may be observed by those around them. Some may demonstrate responsibility in responding to instructions in class, often mistaken as lack of comprehension, while others may become more aggressive as they feel threatened plus may be unaware of ways to trade with their feelings of anxiety, while some others may report more physical complaints like headaches, nausea plus visit the school nurse very often. Hence, it is extremely important to identify the early signs of anxiety and be attentive of the approach used to deal with it.

A few of the immediate signs of anxiety that can be observed in teenagers would be anger, unexplained emotional outbursts, problem in concentrating, isolation from a peer group, excessive fatigue, change in eating habits, sleep changes, procrastination in completing tasks specified. Early signs of anxiety must be observed in potentially exposed children to allow early intervention.

Coping with stress also anxiety encompasses a series of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral approaches adopted by the individual along with due consideration of the social context plus interpersonal relationships. A recent review by Skinner discovered that adolescents most often cope by asking for support, problem-solving, and distraction.

Seeking support in youth is primarily the emotional support sought from peers except the situation is perceived to be uncontrollable where they may seek care from adults. Problem-solving is often reflected in self-reliance in decision making using a kind of cognitive strategy, however, due to the sensitive plus transitional period often decisions that are made may not be entirely informed and practical. This may also result in rumination, aggression, and employing more in distractive activities. Distraction may be behavioral or cognitive reflected in several behaviors like playing a sport or joining in positive thinking respectively.

Managing anxiety is a critical life skill and parents play a particularly important role in helping their child cope & deal with anxiety. It is very essential that adolescents feel safe, secure & assured by their parents and teachers that it is common to feel anxious. Their worries and fears should not be removed as unworthy and most importantly they must be inspired to talk with no fear of being judged. It is also important that parents model the appropriate behavior as a large deal of learning takes place within the indirect observation. The quality of time spent and being sensitive to the experiences & perceived fears of adolescents also contrasts as it defines and facilitates healthy communication. Parents can help by being more accepting of their children without overwhelming expectations set without asking them.

Some effective ways to deal with anxiety during children would include:

• Relaxation methods like yoga, deep breathing exercises, meditation are known to be capable to calm one’s mind and running thoughts.
• Planning short-term activities plus developing hobbies that are distracting & enjoyable.
• Counseling from an authority to help detangle & de-clutter the mind.
• Time management by making a checklist of things to be done & ticking things off the checklist as one proceeds towards the bottom of the list.
• Exercising helps to channelize the dynamic energy & releases happy hormones that result in mood alteration.