Anxiety

Anxiety

The many changes that children have had to embrace, over the last few weeks, in the context of ‘normal’ daily life may have left them experiencing higher levels of anxiety than they would usually. More over young children may not recognise the feelings that they’re experiencing as anxiety and maybe unable to articulate how they’re actually feeling. Below is a sequence of suggestions that may support your child to feel less anxious.

The word APPLE may prompt you to easily remember the sequence.

Firstly take time to Acknowledge with your child how they’re feeling. Maybe talk to them about how they’re feeling physically. They might describe a funny feeling in their tummy.

Next encourage them to Pause. You might try to do some breathing with them. Playing with soap bubbles, a paper windmill or blowing out candles are all techniques for encouraging children to breathe. These all encourage the emptying of your lungs of breath and then feeling them fully with fresh breath.

Next encourage them to Push back against the worry, to actively acknowledge that they don’t need to bow to it or let it get the better of them.

Next support your child to Let go of the worry. They could record the worry through drawing or writing on a piece of paper. This paper could then be screwed or torn up and put in the bin or it could be shut away in a worry box.

Lastly Explore the moment. Maybe go outside and take note of 5 things that you can see, how it smells outside and a couple of sounds that can be heard.

Working through this sequence of techniques can also be useful for us as adults if we’re feeling anxious ourselves.