How To Reduce Your Child’s Stress And Anxiety

Middle school has always been difficult for kids. Add modern-day challenges to the mix that have them cooped up inside on devices more often than being with their friends, and you have a recipe for trouble. Middle school is an important time for kids to make friends, fit in, and hang out in a group, as well as have fun. Less of these types of interactions can add a lot of stress and anxiety to an already stressful time. Below are some things you can do to help your child through these challenging times and support their wellbeing.

Healthy Lifestyle

Some of the simplest things can make the biggest impact, and this is especially true when it comes to making healthy lifestyle habits. Have your child stick to a consistent sleep and wake routine, with an emphasis on removing the devices from the bedroom at night. Promote healthy eating and hydration with a lot of vegetables and clean protein as well as plenty of water daily. Make sure they’re getting enough exercise in any way that they can. These small habits are perhaps the most important ingredient in helping your kid stay happy and healthy.

Mindfulness

Typically, you don’t associate mindfulness with energetic middle schoolers, and we can’t blame you. At that age, it is nearly impossible to sit still and meditate. However, did you know that there are other ways to practice mindfulness and clear one’s head? Any screen-free activity that your child can focus on for an extended period without distraction such as reading, bike riding, etc. can help promote mindfulness. Here at Whirlbottle, we’ve developed the world’s first water bottle you can play with, designed to make hydration fun for kids. An additional benefit of Whirlbottle is that it helps reduce stress and anxiety, as looking at flowing water has been proven to promote mindfulness and stimulate feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain. Click here to learn more.

Counseling

During these tough times, everyone needs someone to talk to, especially kids. They are going through a lot of stress and often have a misinterpreted view of what is going on in the world. Talking to someone else who isn’t their parent that they can trust can make all the difference by giving them much-needed perspective and comfort. These services may not be available in person at this time, but they are still routinely being provided via video chat. If your child’s school doesn’t offer such services, there are plenty of therapy providers that can be found elsewhere.

Get Away

Quite often, stress relief can be as simple as trying to get up and get away from what’s causing it, at least temporarily. If you can afford it, take the kids on a weekend getaway vacation. If not, something as simple as going on a day trip in nature would be great. Even just going for a walk when they’ve been inside for too long can make all the difference. Small things such as this are essential for kids to stay sane in these difficult times and not feel cooped up.