Anxiety and OCD can take a TON of resilience. So when your child generally gives up easily, this can impact how they handle their mental health struggles.
Anticipatory anxiety can be just as paralyzing as other anxiety themes. When we live in the world of what-ifs we can build up so much anxiety that we are immobilized by the time the situation or event arrives. It can help to teach our kids to build up skills on how to manage their anxiety prior to the situation. When they proactively quell the monumental avalanche of anxious thoughts they show up for the event/situation with less anxiety. In this week’s YouTube video for kids and teens I talk about some approaches to handle and reduce anticipatory anxiety.
We all worry about what other people think, that is a human condition. But when you have social anxiety those thoughts consume you, devour you. With social anxiety we are on the hamster wheel of acceptance. We look for it, we analyze it, we tell ourselves we don’t have it – and the cycle repeats. But what if our kids could get off that hamster wheel of caring what other people think, or at least to the level that they do? What if they flipped it around and asked themselves, What do I think? How do I view myself? This is where the real work begins when trying to get rid of social anxiety. It begins with ourselves. In this week’s YouTube video I talk to kids and teens about how to shift their concern about what other people think to reduce their social anxiety.
Everyone handles anxious situations differently. Even kids with anxiety disorders have different ways of showing up to these situations. Some of it has to do with wiring and some of it has to do with skill building. Do they show up to anxious situations waiting to implode? Do they know it is not going to work out before they even begin? Do they agree with their anxious thoughts and team up with their anxiety? Or do they show up to anxious situations like it is a challenge, one they are willing to take on? Do they think that it could possibly work out? Do they recognize their anxious thoughts without owning them? Regardless of whether that is their natural inclination or not, they can train their brain to show up to these situations with an attitude that will help them. In this week’s Youtube video I talk to kids and teens about learning to shift their thoughts and attitude to one that is going to build their resilience and empowerment.
We all struggle to some degree when faced with discomfort. But when you have anxiety or OCD you are faced with discomfort on a completely different level. Anxious thoughts make us uncomfortable. Intrusive thoughts that are not satiated with a compulsion lead to discomfort. When we work on anxiety or OCD, a key component is building our muscles to tolerate discomfort. This can help us beyond our anxiety or OCD. Learning how to handle any discomfort can increase resilience. Life brings discomfort in many forms. Building resilience goes beyond anxiety or OCD. It can impact how we approach life, obstacles and challenges. It can make the difference between giving up and persevering. In this week’s YouTube video I talk to kids and teens about ways to build their ability to handle discomfort beyond anxiety or OCD.
Your child has spent a lot of time and energy learning how to cope with their anxiety. Perhaps they feel like they can finally manage their anxiety. But then someone near them starts to spiral out of control. Anxiety can feel contagious, especially when someone near them is panicking. How can they be around them, while keeping themselves grounded? In this week’s Youtube video I talk to kids and teens about ways to keep their own anxiety in check when someone near them is anxious.
How does your child talk to themselves when faced with anxiety or OCD struggles? How they show up to these anxiety or OCD issues can make all the difference. Do they cheer for themselves or do they cheer for anxiety or OCD? In this week’s Youtube video I talk to kids and teens about how our internal dialogue around anxiety or OCD is crucial.
The fuel that grows our child’s social anxiety comes from the assumptions they make. Sometimes it isn’t the social interaction itself that is the struggle, it’s what they tell themselves afterwards that can be immobilizing. In this week’s YouTube video for kids and teens I discuss a common behavior that grows social anxiety and how they can avoid doing it.
Anxiety and nausea seem to go hand in hand. When our nervous system feels the panic of a false alarm, the stomach eventually takes a hit. Physiologically this makes sense. Chemicals meant to aid us in an emergency are pumping through our system. Our digestion comes to a screeching halt, or worse, it urgently evacuates everything it is holding. This bodily overreaction can make a person feel nauseous. The experience is harmless, but it feels unnerving and distressing. How we react to this anxiety-induced nausea can alter how bad it can become. Often this nausea becomes an issue in and of itself, the fear of throwing up becoming its very own anxiety theme. In this week’s Youtube video I talk to kids and teens about why we get nauseous when we are anxious and how to respond during those times to lessen its long term impact.
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