Along with other mental health struggles, we recognize that our youth are reporting high levels of anxiety. We certainly see it in our programs at Lakeside, but we also know it from many sources such as schools, mental health facilities and systems of care that are serving our kids. What are the sources of anxiety for kids and what do we need to know to help them?
For many kids, anxiety is shaping how they learn, connect, sleep and see themselves. Understanding it and how to respond is one of the most important things for the adults in their lives to know. So why is anxiety rising among our kids? I think there are several reasons.
- Pressure to perform – whether in academics, sports or personal lives they feel evaluated constantly. Mistakes feel catastrophic and success feels more like survival.
- An unstable world – so many issues like political tension, violence, bullying, economic uncertainty, climate change, etc. It makes them feel powerless to have impact in these significant issues.
- Social media – online platforms magnify comparison, judgment and fear of missing out which leads our kids to think they are missing out on what others think is important.
- Lack of safety – kids often feel like they cannot share their honest feelings without judgment, being corrected or being minimized.
Some of the symptoms of anxiety in kids are:
- Constant worrying or overthinking
- Avoidance of school, social events or new experiences
- Perfectionism and fear of failure
- Irritability or emotional shut-down
- Trouble sleeping or concentrating
- Physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches
It should be noted that they may not be able to express the whys of their anxiety but only that things do not feel right about their lives.
Anxiety in our kids needs to be taken seriously. They often need help regulating these hard emotions and reactions. Whether at home or in the classroom, our kids should be equipped with the tools to regulate their emotions and find calm even in a chaotic world.
This is why Lakeside provides training, workbooks and brain breaks with our publications so that kids can learn about their emotions and have the tools to help regulate them. We feel very privileged to offer the Neurologic by Lakeside tools so that our kids can have access to the tools they need to help them with their anxiety. For more information, you can go to our website lakeside.net to learn more about Neurologic by Lakeside and purchase our publications on this topic from our store.
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
