Anxiety is part of our survival instinct. When faced with a threatening situation, our brains and bodies respond by kicking into safety mode. Our adrenalin starts pumping, which helps us get ready to escape the danger.
Fearful and anxious behaviour can be common in children – especially as they come across a new situation and/or experience. Most children will learn to cope with their different fears and worries.
However, they may need a little extra support when:
- They feel anxious more than other children of a similar age
- Their anxiety stops them participating in activities at school or socially
- Their anxiety interferes with their ability to do the things that other children their age can do
- Their fears and worries may seem out of proportion to the issues in their life.
Kids that experience anxiety may come up with their own unique strategies to try and manage a stressful situation. This will often involve trying to avoid the situation or having a parent or other adult deal with it for them.
While this can work in the short term, avoiding the stressful situation will make it more likely that they’ll feel anxious and be unable to manage it next time. As a result, they can find it harder to cope with their everyday stresses at home, school and within a social setting.
Anxiety can also result in physical symptoms such as sleeplessness, diarrhoea, stomach aches and headache. Other symptoms may include irritability, difficulty concentrating and tiredness.
A child with anxiety may
- Seek reassurance often
- Avoid situations they feel worried or scared about
- Try to get others to do the things they are worried about
- Tell you that they have physical pains
- Wont like to take risks or try new things
- Have a lot of fears
- Get upset easily
- Have a lot of worries
