Archives April 2021

Supporting teen with anxiety during Covid-19 has been stressful for stressful. How do I support my teen with anxiety during this Covid-19, has been a huge stressors in parents and caregivers. Parents and caregivers are so stressed because during this pandemic is really difficult for them to support their teen with anxiety.

I have heard teens tell me I just want Covid-19 to go away, and my anxiety will go as well. Teens have said to me, I do not want the school to be shut down again as I don’t want to be alone at home without connecting with my friends. Teens have also said when school goes remote I struggle because I do not have any motivation to learn.

This is the new reality that the world leaves in right now. One day is we are free to connect with family and friends and the next day is you cannot visit friends and families; it leads to anxiety because teens do not know what to expect. Research indicates that the rate of anxiety in teens have increased during this Covid-19.

How do I support my teen with anxiety during this Covid-19 is a common question among parents and caregivers.

1) Limit Worry Activities

You know that teens with anxiety are prone to worry a lot and as a parent or caregiver limiting those worry activities or exposures are important in supporting teens with anxiety during this Covis-19. Some ways to support your teen to limit worry activities with anxiety during Covid-19;

• Limit their exposure to media that focus so much on the negative outcomes especially when you know your teen worries a lot. Limiting media will include you as a parent or caregiver been intentional around your teen to limit media exposure.
• Ask your teen what the know or if they have any question that is causing them to worry a lot and use that opportunity answer their questions in an age appropriate way. Please parents avoid details answers that can cause more worries in your teen.
• Validate their feelings, emotions, and thoughts around the situation. Do not be in a hurry to dismiss their feels or worries, be patient and explore and validate your teen. (read more on this topic here).

2) Keep Routine “Normal”

Keep the routine normal and consistent to support teen with anxiety during Covid-19 as it helps teens feel safe, develop life skills, cope with the situation, and build healthy habits. Routine could include bedtime, physical activities, spiritual activities, connecting with loved ones (friends, families, teacher, religious leader etc., through video chat or phone call), schoolwork, appointments, medical professional, and fun with family. Keeping routine normal and consistent in supporting teens with anxiety during Covid-19 can help reduce stress, worry, and anxiety.

3) Connect with Your Supports

Connecting with your supports in other to support your teen with Anxiety during Covid-19 is very important. For a lot of people that support could include;

• Professional Supports. Professional supports could include your family doctor, mental health professional, or school counsellor.
• Spiritual Supports. Spiritual supports could include your pastor, church, and so on.
• Community Supports. The Community supports could include groups in the communities, online group, and so on.

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Emem Iniobong, CCC is a Canadian Certified Counsellor in Brandon, Manitoba. She specializes in working with children and adolescents through various mental, emotional, and behavioural challenges.  Passionate about helping children and teens find their unique strengths, she developed tools so they can overcome whatever challenges they face and bravely navigate the world around them. Bliss Counselling and Wellness Centre helps you find your bliss.

Knowing different ways of calming anxiety in children can be helpful for parents and caregivers.

In this series of mental health tips, one common question from parents and caregivers was how can I calm my teen when they worry a lot and how can I calm my children when they are stressed.

In this blog, I will be providing some easy tips around calming anxiety in your children. However, keep in mind that the tips provided in this blog can be helpful for both young and older adults.

1). 54321 Grounding Exercise as a Way of Calming Anxiety in Children

This 54321 grounding exercise is a common and popular exercise as a way of calming anxiety in children but in most cases is not used as they are supposed to be used. This 54321 grounding exercise for calming anxiety in children involves uses the five senses to help children remind them of the present. This is a 54321 grounding exercise can help calm anxiety in children and get through stressful or hard situations.

2). Paper, Pencil, and Crayon

Having paper, pencil, and crayon have been effective in my practice in calming anxiety in children. Coloring has the potential to calm anxiety in children, reduce anxiety, build skills, create focus, healthy ways of managing emotions, and bring about more mindfulness.

3). Puzzles as a Way of Calming Anxiety in Children

Puzzles can serve as a great tools to calm anxiety in children because they can have an instant calming effect in children who are stressed, overexcited, anxious, or having a tantrum. Using puzzles as a calming strategies in children can help in concentration, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, self-esteem, memory, problem solving skills, and spatial awareness (where the child is aware of them in a space and how the objects relates to each other and them).

4). Fidget Toys for Calming Anxiety in Children

Parents/Caregivers keep fidget toys handy for children or even adults (hahahaha) and yes, you heard me right to hold in their hands to calm an anxious or stressed child. Fidget toys help with the child, teen, or adult focus and pay attention.

5). Imagining a Favourite Place or Activity

Asking the child or teen to imagine a favourite place or favourite activity can help to reduce anxiety in children. Asking the child or teen to say the place loud, describe it, and the feelings they are experiencing has a way to calm down an anxious or stressful child.

6). Stress Balls for Calming Anxiety in Children

Stress Balls are tools that I have laying in my office all the time. Like the fidget toys it helps the child or teen and sometimes the parents and caregivers focus and pay attention because of the feel in their hands.

7). Trampoline for Calming Anxiety in Children

Trampolines are great for movement in reducing anxiety in children and also a great tool calm an overexcited child or teen. You can go wrong with this tool.

8). Using Floppy Teddy Bear or Toys

Using floppy teddy bear or toys is a great tool to calm stress or anxiety in children. When using this strategy asks the child or teen to describe the color, feel, how they smell, and so on can help in calming the child and also create focus and attention.

Emem Iniobong, CCC is a Canadian Certified Counsellor in Brandon, Manitoba. She specializes in working with children and adolescents through various mental, emotional, and behavioral challenges.  Passionate about helping children and teens find their unique strengths, she develop skills so they can overcome whatever challenges they face and bravely navigate the world around them. Emem owns Bliss Counselling and Wellness Centre whose mission is to help you find your bliss and live confidently.