How To Help Kids With Mental Health and Anxiety

Kids are smart to understand that if they are struggling with mental health and anxiety, but they just don’t know how to express it. They don’t have the words to tell you that they are having a hard time.

If you have a child in your life, telling them that it’s okay for them to be feeling the way they do. It’s okay to go to an adult and tell them that they are having a hard time. Everyone has dealt with some sort of anxiety. Kids should know that there are ways to take control over what’s bothering them. They shouldn’t have to suffer alone. They want to be able to feel safe, but if there is something that they are dealing with that is out of their control, they could use things that take that control back.

Try and understand why a child may be feeling the way they are. Maybe it’s something to do with school, friends or someone could have said something to them that hurt. You have to get to their level. Have them talk you through it, sometimes it’s hard to express themselves in the moment, give them some space and tell them to use their words to explain what happened. Kids need to feel like their being listened too. Don’t tell them to get over it or to suck it up. It’s going to make the situation worse. They are trusting you to help them. You have to respect their feelings.

If they tell you that something triggers their anxiety, help them try and eliminate those triggers or create ways to limit the triggers. If it’s something like taking a test, talk to the teacher and see if they can do it after school or at lunch. Sometimes, there are distractions that make it hard to focus causing them to become anxious or they feel like they are racing against the clock so they finish the test fast so they can get it over with.

If you see that its more than anxiety. Encourage them to see someone about it. Ask if them talking to someone else other than a parent will make them feel better. Tell them that someone like a therapist will have the tools they need to help them cope. Let them know that they are loved and supported. You can work on it together. There’s no shame in letting your guard done and asking for help. The sooner they get help, the better it’s going to be in the future. You don’t want them feeling like this was a bad time to talk about it because they didn’t want to burden their parents with how they are feeling.

Be a safe space for your kids. Tell them that it’s always a good time to talk about mental health and anxiety. If you struggle with anxiety, let them know and tell them how you handle it. Share with them what you do when you start feeling anxious. This is a good time to use that as a way to bond. If they see that you are going through the same thing they are, they will feel a lot better. They will come to you with questions. Walk with them through this journey. Be there for them.

Kids are a lot stronger then we give them credit for. They are resilient.