Everyone faces stress in their lives, and our children are no exception. Our kids deal with everything from the ongoing stress of growing up to school stress and the stress of trying to fit in with their peers. It is critical that we talk with our children about stress, what they should do if they are stressed, and provide strategies they can use to reduce their stress levels.
Stress: What Does It Look Like?
The first step in helping our kids is defining stress for them. One way to explain it is to say stress is how we react when we feel under pressure or threatened. It usually happens when we are in a situation that we don't feel we can manage or control. It is important to remind kids that they might experience stress in many different forms. For example, we could explain that they may be stressed if they feel overwhelmed by their schoolwork or are having disagreements with their friends. It is also vital that our children realize that stress affects everyone and that they may always come to us if they are stressed, regardless of the cause.
How Can We Reduce General Stress for Our Kids?
We can help our children manage their stress by assisting them in establishing systems that make their lives more predictable. Because not feeling in control of a situation is one source of stress, teaching our children how to feel more in control will help them feel less stressed. This may look like assisting our children in simplifying their rooms so that there is less clutter for them to deal with. This might also include making schedules for our children so that they always know what they should be working on and what is coming up next during the day.
This could also simply mean allowing space for our children to express themselves through talking to us, writing in a notebook, or even going for a quick run. Being able to articulate feelings and emotions helps our children manage them and reminds them that all feelings and emotions pass. Whatever our children are experiencing is not what they will always be experiencing, which is a crucial lesson to teach because most youngsters lack the life experience to understand this.
How Can We Reduce Social Stress for Our Kids?
Another way we might help our children reduce stress is by teaching them social skills. Social anxiety is a frequent form of stress in young people, and it can last into adulthood if not addressed. Unresolved social phobias can result in our children growing up to be adults who struggle to communicate with others and who struggle to prosper in the workplace. Communication abilities are required for living a fruitful life. We can encourage our children to seek out classmates with whom they can form friendships. If they are really struggling to make friends, we can talk to our school or our pediatrician about the possibility of referring them to a psychologist.
When Should We Talk with Experts?
Sometimes we can see that our child is suffering, but we don't have the tools to help them cope with their anxieties. Many professionals and programs can help with teen anxiety by identifying the roots of our child's concern, addressing these pain points, and providing tools and resources to help our child manage their anxiety more effectively. We never want to see our children suffer, so it is critical that we know when it is appropriate to seek help.
Putting It All Together
Growing up can be hard on our kids. Many times, our children will end up experiencing stress or anxiety. This stress might take the form of general life stress or be the stress of trying to make friends. If we help create systems for our children, we can reduce the unpredictability that they are facing and therefore help reduce their stress levels. In addition, while we all wish we could always be there for our children, sometimes we must reach out to professionals for additional help. By providing our children with the support they need to understand and manage their stress levels as they grow, we are setting them up to be able to continue to do so when they are adults out in the world.
