Effective Anxiety Management

Anxiety is your body's physical response to threats. Your breathing might increase, your heart might start pounding,you could feel butterflies in your stomach, and you might get a burst of energy. Everyone feels anxious at  times, and a certain level of anxiety is normal, and even helpful, in some situations. Anxiety is your body's way of keeping you safe. For instance, imagine you are walking home, and you are dragging your feet because your are tired. Out of the corner of your eye, you think you see a snake. Suddenly, you forget how tired you are and have a burst of energy that helps you to get out of harm's way. Anxiety can also motivate you. If you feel a bit anxious about an assignment that's due or a job interview, anxiety can help you to power through. However, feeling too much anxiety about something, or feeling anxiety that's not connected to an obvious challenge,isn't helpful. It can get in the way of your day-to-day activities and affect your quality of life.                                                                                            An anxiety disorder occur when anxiety starts to impact on a person's life and prevent them from engaging with friends family, work or school.Rather than feeling anxious in response to actual danger, someone with an anxiety disorder will experience the same symptoms in situation they perceive as dangerous(e.g. when meeting new people or taking public transportation).   

Children's thoughts, emotions and experiences are real to them. No matter how you think or feel about their experiences, it is important for your children to feel heard, validated and understood. Empathize with your children, imagine what it is to be in their shoes, and recognize and affirm that their thoughts, feelings and experiences are valid and important.