School Counselor Corner
School counselors are often asked how parents and staff can help students who have a difficult time managing anxiety, worry, and stress. One of the goals is to give students the tools they need to manage their emotional response in a positive and healthy way.
As adults, it is important to remember that protecting students from experiencing negative emotions can make the symptoms of anxiety worse and may hold students back from learning essential coping skills. Stress triggers cannot always be avoided, in fact, avoidance may feel better immediately, but over time it can increase fear and stress.
Here are some helpful tips that can help parents have conversations about stress and anxiety with your child.
- Talk about appropriate responses to stress/anxiety prior to a situation where anxiety and stress happens. Plan for it and practice healthy responses.
- Ask your child what makes them feel anxious. Listen and be open to what they have to say, as this alone may offer tremendous relief. As you talk, try not to let their anxiety make you anxious. Remain calm and help them think of helpful strategies.
- Physical response is directly related to how we feel. Help your student avoid fight-or-flight mode by teaching them physical relaxation strategies. To calm the body, practice deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, counting backwards from 10, or playing with a toy that brings comfort.
- Writing about worries or drawing their fears helps children learn to safely vent their anxious feelings, especially if they tend to keep their worries to themselves. Students can write about their feelings and then tear the paper up, keep a worry journal, or put their worries in a jar and leave them there.
- Teach your child that they are stronger than their anxious thoughts. Anxiety can take away our feeling of power. Remind your child that they are strong enough to tell their anxious minds to calm down!
Helping a child through anxiety and stress can be difficult, but it is not impossible. If your child’s anxiety or stress affects their ability to sleep, attend school, and thrive in other areas of their life, seek an evaluation and support from a licensed mental health provider. If you need help, please contact any of our counselors Mrs. Bird, Mrs. Riddle, or Mrs. Almelien.
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