Anxiety in Children

LEARNING CONNECTION

Some signs or symptoms of Anxiety may include:

Physical

• • unexplained stomach aches or headaches

  • refuses to eat

  • won't use the restroom unless at home

  • restless, fidgety, hyperactive or distracted

  • shaking or sweating

  • tense muscles

  • trouble with sleeping (staying or falling asleep)

Emotional

• • cries a lot

  • overly sensitive

  • easily grouchy or angry

  • afraid of making mistakes

  • experiencing panic attacks

  • worries about the far future

  • worried or afraid during drop-offs

  • experiences frequent nightmares about losing a loved one

Behavioral

• • asks "What if?" constantly

  • avoids joining in class discussions/activities

  • keeps to self/quiet when supposed to work with others

  • school-refusal

  • stays inside or alone at lunch or recess

  • avoids social situations with others (ie. birthday parties, extracurriculars, etc.)

  • constantly seeks approval from others

  • says "I can't do it" frequently

  • has meltdowns or tantrums

FAMILY CONNECTION

Strategies to try at home:

Set clear expectations

Expectations for all children should be similar - if a child is experiencing anxiety it is helpful to go at a slower pace and make accommodations if needed. This will help your child work through and manage their anxious feelings.

Let your child worry

Telling your child "Don't worry!" or "Relax!" doesn't actually help. It can actually make the child feel worse about the situation or agitate them even more. It is normal to feel a certain amount of anxiety as we go through our days and it actually serves as an important function in our lives. Allow your child to experience some anxiety and process with them at the end of the day. Give them a time to express their worries and come up with solutions together!

Avoid avoidance

One would that think avoiding the child's trigger will just fix their anxiety right? Wrong! Avoiding the triggers, experiences or things that inhibit anxiety can actually validate that anxious thought and make it worse! Taking small steps, children can learn to work through their fears and worries.

Practice Reframing

Typically when a child experiences Anxiety there is a cycle of thoughts associated with the feeling. Reframing these thoughts can be helpful in managing those anxious feelings. Click here to learn more about Cognitive Distortions.

Help them build a Coping Kit

Creating a toolkit of strategies the child has readily available when feeling anxious can empower them to work through and manage these feelings. Some strategies may include: deep breathing, asking for help, using a fidget/or stress ball, etc.

Keep it simple & establish routines, Empathize often and Take care of yourself (click here to read more)

EDUCATOR CONNECTION

Tips for the Classroom:

Tackle Transitions

Recognize when there will be small transitions and offer students who are prone to anxious thoughts in these downtimes - a small task like bringing a book to a teacher down the hall. You can also help reset students by doing a small meditation or short YouTube video.

Offer Cognitive Distractions

Provide frequent breaks or small cognitive tasks such as puzzles to distract students from their anxious thoughts.

Make It Manageable

Break down the task into smaller ones to help reduce anxiety and make a project or assignment feel more manageable.

Apply The Label

Help the student label the anxious thought, preferably have them challenge this thought.

Teach the Physical Signs

Teach students the signs of anxiety and have them do body check-ins.

Help them Initiate, Check-In Routinely and Give Private Praise (Click here to learn more)