Step 1: Explain to your child what is happening in their brain. Their brains will alert them that they are in danger, leading their bodies to respond to this danger even when there may not actually be a threat. They will likely try to retreat to safety. Helping kids realize how they can learn to tell their brains what to do instead of their brains telling them will help them manage anxious thoughts as they get older.
Step 2: Help your child learn their triggers and their symptoms. The more we learn about how anxiety affects us, the more we can make intentional choices instead of reactive responses. Learning coping strategies helps to alleviate the symptoms and allows us to return to stress with a clearer mind.
Step 3: Give kids examples of how to talk to their brains to help them feel safe. Help kids understand this step takes practice. Children will likely still get an alert in their brains but the more they respond to this alert with positive self-talk, they will change their body’s response because their thoughts will begin to change.
The triggers will likely still happen, but the more we practice, our brains can find peace even in the chaos.
