Having a small child that’s always anxious could be a heartbreaking and distressing not only for your child but for you as well. You’d probably do anything you can to help your child, but how? People are not born with the skill to comfort and calm themselves, but we learn as we go through life.
So to help your child, you need to calm him and help him acquire skills to calm himself. It’s perfectly natural for children to feel anxious sometimes because they have yet to understand how the world around them works and how to control themselves and their environment.
Your pediatric doctor here in Lehi can also help. That said, here are easy to help calm your child using these easy natural approaches.
Do Art Therapy Together
This basically involves creating whatever form of art to help your child release some tension and anxiety. This is perfect for smaller kids who can’t verbally communicate their feelings yet, as art can give them an outlet for their feelings. Art is also a sensory experience that can help calm your child.
With that in mind, make sure always to have art materials handy so that your child can use them whenever he wants. But don’t get hung up on the finished artwork; focus on the creation process.
Do Breath Work and Yoga
Slow and gentle body movements, coupled with controlled and concentrated breathing can help calm your anxious child. When doing yoga, your child will learn how to breathe more properly to expand his diaphragm so that he can better fill his lungs with air.
Deep and controlled breath work will trigger the nervous system’s restful state, slowing down his heart rate, lowering his blood pressure, and giving him a sense of calm. When starting out, select fun and easy poses to help build your child’s confidence and focus on the breath work, while holding poses, instead of trying to perfect a pose.
Do Deep Pressure Therapy
With deep pressure therapy, you basically apply firm yet gentle pressure to your child’s back, arms or legs using your hands or a weighted blanket or vest. Studies state that hugging releases anxiety and floods the body with feel-good hormones.
Opt for a weighted item if your child doesn’t like to be hugged, massaged, or touched. You can also try wrapping your child in a rug or blanket and gently roll him.
Essential Things to Keep in Mind
While anxiety is normal in small children, it could be hard to determine whether your child is just usually feeling anxiety or suffering from an anxiety disorder. To determine this, check for signs of worry that’s so crippling that it restricts your child’s daily life.
Look out for physical signs such as fainting, excessive sweating, difficulty breathing and stomach pain as well.
If you strongly believe that your child is suffering from an actual anxiety disorder, schedule a consultation with your pediatric doctor in Lehi. He or she may allay your concerns or refer you to a therapist for an evaluation.
The therapist will assess your child’s health history to look for clues and possible reasons for his symptoms and suggest appropriate treatment.
