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Safe Place Guided Imagery for Children & Adolescents

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Safe Place Guided Imagery for Children & Adolescents

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My go-to #breathing technique when I'm #anxiou RECTANGLE BREATHING How to Practice Rectangle Breathing Recommended practice_ any time you begin to feel anxious_ Rectangle” The Anxiety Healer's Guide Alison Sepon

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mindfullness poster for a breathing excercise

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We are always interpreting the world around us, trying to make sense of what is happening and sometimes we see situations through an unhelpful lens of thinking style. This can mean that we are not able to see the situation accurately or without bias. When we are able to recognise our thinking styles, we can start to challenge our thoughts and find a more helpful way of seeing things.

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Step 2: Relaxing the tense muscles

This step involves quickly relaxing the tensed muscles. After about 5 seconds, let all the tightness flow out of the tensed muscles. Exhale as you do this step. You should feel the muscles become loose and limp, as the tension flows out. It is important to very deliberately focus on and notice the difference between the tension and relaxation. This is the most important part of the whole exercise.
Note: It can take time to learn to relax the body and notice the difference between tension and relaxation. At first, it may feel uncomfortable to be focusing on your body but with time it can become quite enjoyable.
Remain in this relaxed state for about 15 seconds, then move on to the next muscle group. Repeat the tension-relaxation steps. After completing all of the muscle groups, take some time to enjoy the deep state of relaxation.

The different muscle groups

During the progressive relaxation exercise, you will be working with almost all the major muscle groups in your body. To make it easier to remember, start with your feet and systematically move up (or if you prefer, you can do it in the reverse order, from your forehead down to your feet). For example:

Foot (curl your toes downward)

Lower leg and foot (tighten your calf muscle by pulling toes towards you)

Entire leg (squeeze thigh muscles while doing above)

(Repeat on other side of body)

Hand (clench your fist)

Entire right arm (tighten your biceps by drawing your forearm up towards your shoulder and "make a muscle", while clenching fist)

(Repeat on other side of body)

Buttocks (tighten by pulling your buttocks together)

Stomach (suck your stomach in)

Chest (tighten by taking a deep breath)

Neck and shoulders (raise your shoulders up to touch your ears)

Mouth (open your mouth wide enough to stretch the hinges of your jaw)

Eyes (clench your eyelids tightly shut)

Forehead (raise your eyebrows as far as you can)

It can be helpful to listen to someone guide you through these steps. There are many relaxation CDs for sale that will take you through a progressive muscle relaxation (or something very similar). Alternatively, you can record a script of this process on a tape or CD, or ask a friend or relative with a calm, soothing voice to record it for you. It would sound something like this:

Take a deep breath in through your nose...hold your breath for a few seconds...and now breathe out...take another deep breath through your nose... Now pay attention to your body and how it feels.... Start with your right foot... squeeze all the muscles in your right foot. Curl your toes as tight as you can, now hold it....hold it...good...now relax and exhale...let your foot go limp...notice the difference between the tension and relaxation....feel the tension flow out of your foot like water...(then repeat with right lower leg and foot, entire right leg, etc.).

Quick tense and relax

Once you have become familiar with the "tension and relaxation" technique, and have been practicing it for a couple weeks, you can begin to practice a very short version of progressive muscle relaxation. In this approach, you learn how to tense larger groups of muscles, which takes even less time. These muscle groups are:

1. Lower limbs (feet and legs)

2. Stomach and chest

3. Arms, shoulders, and neck

4. Face

So instead of working with just one specific muscle group at a time (e.g. your stomach), you can focus on the complete group (your stomach AND chest). You can start by focusing on your breathing during the tension and relaxation. When doing this shortened version, it can be helpful to say a certain word or phrase to yourself as you slowly exhale (such as " relax", " let go", " stay calm", " peace" " it will pass " etc.). This word or phrase will become associated with a relaxed state; eventually, saying this word alone can bring on a calm feeling. This can be handy during times when it would be hard to take the time to go through all the steps of progressive muscle relaxation.

Release only

A good way to further shorten the time you take to relax your muscles is to become familiar with the "release only" technique. One of the benefits of tensing and releasing muscles is that you learn to recognize what tense muscles feel like and what relaxed muscles feel like.

Once you feel comfortable with the tension and relaxation techniques, you can start doing "release only", which involves removing the "tension" part of the exercise. For example, instead of tensing your stomach and chest before relaxing them, try just relaxing the muscles. At first, the feeling of relaxation might feel less intense then when you tensed the muscles beforehand, but with practice, the release-only technique can be just as relaxing.

Tense & Release Audio
Male:
http://anxietycanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/tense_and_release_male.mp3
Female:
http://anxietycanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/tense_and_release_female.mp3

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How to do Progressive Muscle Relaxation - Anxiety Canada

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Step 2: Relaxing the tense muscles This step involves quickly relaxing the tensed muscles. After about 5 seconds, let all the tightness flow out of the tensed muscles. Exhale as you do this step. You should feel the muscles become loose and limp, as the tension flows out.

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Here are some of our frequently asked questions to help give you more information about our service.

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With a Feelings Wheel, the core emotions are at the center of the circle—which is the easiest place to start. After choosing the most accurate core emotion, you can use your finger to identify the more specific emotions that you connect with on the outer edges of the circle.

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physiological sigh breathing - Google Search

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There are lots of ways to feel calmer. It's about finding what works for you. Try some of our breathing exercises, activities, games and videos to help let go of stress.

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There are lots of way to feel calmer. Try our breathing exercises, activities and games or watch a video to help let go of stress.

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Nip In The Bud - Films for parents/carers

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Nip In The Bud - Films for parents/carers

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The short films and accompanying fact sheets below have been prepared to help parents and children who may have a diagnosis, may be showing symptoms of a potential mental health condition or may be struggling as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.

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Films for Parents / Carers | Nip in the Bud

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The short films and accompanying fact sheets below have been prepared to help parents and children who may have a diagnosis, may be showing symptoms of a potential mental health condition or may be struggling as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.

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Little Parachutes * children's picture books about

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A hand-picked collection of picture books that gently explains anxiety, worry and stress to young children

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Dr Jacqui Rodgers, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at Newcastle University, discusses why autistic people may experience anxiety. Jacqui also explores how to identify anxiety in autistic people and outlines some treatments options.

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Dr Jacqui Rodgers, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at Newcastle University, discusses why autistic people may experience anxiety. Jacqui also explores how to identify anxiety in autistic people and outlines some treatments options.
Anxiety is more common in autistic individuals than it is in neurotypical individuals (van Steensel et al, 2011, Lugnegård et al, 2011). The consensus is that around 50% of autistic people will experience anxiety that has a significant impact on their everyday lives (Simonoff et al, 2008).

Evidence suggests that when autistic people experience anxiety there may be some aspects of their experience that are different from anxiety as experienced by non-autistics (Kerns et al, 2014). There are 4 key areas that may especially relate to anxiety for autistic people:

difficulty recognising emotions of self and others

sensory sensitivities

difficulty with uncertainty

performance anxiety

Difficulty recognising emotions of self and others

Research suggests that autistic people may have difficulty recognising their own emotional state and the emotional reactions of those around them (Maisel et al, 2016). This may mean it can be more difficult to understand and process feelings of being scared or safe - and of course this in itself will be scary. It may also result in anxiety in social situations because it is so hard to 'read' other people, making the world a more unpredictable place.

Sensory sensitivities

It is well documented that autistic people may have additional sensory processing difficulties, such as sensitivity with sounds and touch. Feeling like one is being constantly bombarded by sensory stimuli can be extremely anxiety provoking (Wigham et al, 2015).

Difficulty with uncertainty

For some autistic people, uncertainty can lead to heightened anxiety (Boulter et al 2014). This uncertainty may interact in important ways with other aspects of anxiety for autistic people. For example, having sensory sensitivities and being unsure if you will stumble across these sensory triggers in new situations may make you less able to manage change or uncertainty (Wigham et al., 2015). Similarly, having difficulties recognising your own internal state and the emotions of others will increase the amount of uncertainty in the world (Maisel et al, 2016).

Performance anxiety

Fear of failure can be a significant and anxiety provoking issue for autistic people, and may result in a reluctance to try new things or complete tasks like homework or job related activities, unless there can be a guarantee of success. Being unsure about whether you can do things perfectly can lead to a lot of worry and avoidance, creating a vicious cycle of anxiety (Rodgers et al, 2016).

Identifying anxiety

Assessments for anxiety are rarely tailored for autistic people and there may be some important ways in which autistic people respond when they are feeling anxious that may not readily be recognised as anxiety. For example in our research (Joyce et al 2017) autistic adolescents and adults have told us that when they are feeling anxious:

they may become more repetitive in their actions

they may spend more time on hobbies and interests

they may become more insistent on routines, perhaps as a way of managing uncertainty, fear of failure and sensory input.

It is helpful to be aware of these possible changes as they may be an important indicator of a change in mood and an increase in anxiety.

Researchers have begun to develop assessment methods that are designed for and validated with autistic people. The Anxiety Scale for Children - ASD (ASC-ASD) is a twenty four item self or parent report questionnaire validated with autistic children aged 8-16 years, and is free to download. Research is ongoing to develop a version of the tool for autistic adults and those with co-occurring intellectual disability.

A more detailed form of assessment is a clinical interview. The gold standard anxiety assessment for neurotypical children is the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule (ADIS), an in-depth semi-structured interview undertaken with parents. Work is currently underway by Connor Kerns in the USA to adapt the ADIS to make it suitable for use with parents of autistic children (Kerns et al 2014). The ADIS-Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders (ADIS-ASDD) is due to be published in 2018 and will make an important contribution to clinicians' and researchers' toolbox.

Treatments for anxiety

Treatments for anxiety, like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), are recommended and the evidence for their use is promising. However these approaches may need some adaptations to meet the needs and learning styles of autistic people. It may be important to support autistic people to develop more recognition and understanding of their own emotions before standardised CBT approaches can begin. This process may be anxiety provoking in itself, and so techniques like mindfulness may be helpful to some.

From our research we would suggest a focus on reducing anxiety around uncertainty might be pivotal. A two pronged approach is key here:

reduce uncertainty by ensuring that where possible autistic people know what to expect
reduce anxiety related to uncertainty through very gradual exposure to uncertain situations, if suitable for the individual.
We have begun to develop approaches which aim to reduce the difficulties that some autistic people experience with uncertainty (Rodgers et al 2017).

In summary, anxiety is common for autistic people and may have some features that differ from anxiety experienced by neurotypical people, making it important to seek the type of suitable and validated assessments mentioned above. In order to recognise anxiety in autistic people we should also be aware of any meaningful changes in their day to day behaviour or activities. Techniques like CBT are helpful but may need to be adapted to meet the needs of autistic people.

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Dr Jacqui Rodgers explores why autistic people may experience anxiety

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Anyone can experience anxiety. It is common to feel anxious when in a stressful or challenging situation. However, some autistic people may feel anxious in their day-to-day lives due to navigating social and sensory environments that might be difficult or challenging. Research suggests autistic people are more prone to experiencing anxiety and estimates that up to half of all autistic people experience high levels of anxiety on a regular basis.

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Advice, guidance and useful resources about autism and anxiety.

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Autism specialist and autistic adult Sarah Hendrickx discusses the topic of anxiety and autism in education. Sarah suggests instead of seeing anxiety as a separate and distinct issue we should focus on anxiety coming from an autism root and tackle it from this perspective.

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Autism specialist and autistic adult Sarah Hendrickx discusses the topic of anxiety and autism in education. Sarah suggests instead of seeing anxiety as a separate and distinct issue we should focus on anxiety coming from an autism root and tackle it from this perspective.
It should come as no surprise that autistic children and young people experience anxiety, especially at school. If we think about it, school is the place where they are going to experience the most people, most potential change and least amount control. They have to go, day after day with little choice about who, what and when. School takes up almost half of a child's waking hours and is set in a physical environment that may not be easy for those with sensory differences. And we haven't even mentioned play-time.

The triggers for anxiety can be many and varied but usually have a root which can be attributed to autistic processing, such as:

social understanding with peers and teachers

unspoken social or work task requirements

unexpected change.

Something which I see causing anxiety in children I have worked with is rules which make no sense and which the autistic child will question in a way that other children often do not:

Why do we have to do assembly?

Why do I have to shake the vicar's hand?

Why do I have to sing?

These children are not argumentative or challenging; they are confused and trying to overcome their confusion by seeking more data. Imagine a world where you have no choice but to follow rules that you don't know exist until you get them wrong, and rules which have no logical function. How would it feel? Constantly terrifying. You have no idea what comes next and how soon you will be told off for doing something that you didn't know shouldn't be done.

These triggers can also be cumulative. A morning which starts badly with a missed bus, a forgotten lunch or a strange teacher can escalate into a whole day of fear, uncertainty and anxiety for the child, which in turn makes learning very hard.

To have the mental capacity to think, process and utilise incoming information becomes impossible if you are constantly on edge wondering:

what will happen next (because you cannot guess)

what you are supposed to be doing (because the teacher failed to give you sufficient instructions)

why your classmates are laughing (because you didn't get the joke).

You end up becoming on red alert, fight or flight mode, where survival is all.

For this reason, and for the general well-being of our autistic young people, it is essential that we understand that their autistic thinking makes coping in a non-autistic world more difficult and scary.

Trying to deal with their anxiety in isolation is not the answer. Telling someone 'don't be silly', or to 'calm down', or 'you don't need to worry about that' doesn't work. Think about times when you have been concerned or upset and you've been told to 'calm down'. I am guessing that it made you do the opposite and feel like screaming at your well-intended pacifier! This approach can often make us feel that our worries are being trivialised and not heard, and that we are wrong and foolish to have them. This may be a message that our autistic child hears a lot: your view of the world is wrong and foolish.

What works better is to listen and begin at the starting point of the child. If the child is anxious about something, let's start there, in their world and not in our world where it all makes sense. Let's accept their right to feel anxious. Let's tap into this empathy thing and take a moment to imagine what it feels like to be that child.

The approach which makes most sense to me is that we need to be one step ahead and try to predict the upcoming situations and events that might cause anxiety to this individual child. The better you understand how your children are affected by their autism, the more relaxed they will feel because you will 'get them'. For example, if the child struggles with new people, warn them in advance, show photos of the new person, give them some details about the new person which they might find interesting - make the person less 'new', less unknown and more predictable. If the child finds verbal communication stressful, give them other means to get their thoughts across, music, drawing, Lego, computer graphics. It's all common sense really.

If you understand autism, you can work out how to fill in the cognitive gaps that result from living in a non-autistic world and it is these that can result in anxiety. The problem is not the child; it's the illogical, flexible, changeable world they are forced to live in.

Supporting the autism will lead naturally to reduction in the crippling and miserable anxiety that many of our autistic children and young people face simply at the thought of going to school. These are often naturally curious children who love knowledge and want to learn. We just need to make sure that school is an environment which allows them enough capacity to be able to do so.

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Sarah Hendrickx discusses the topic of anxiety and autism in education.

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Advice for parents and carers in Scotland - Enquire

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Advice and information to help your understand additional support for learning.

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If you have anxiety, your fears and worries can keep you from feeling confident and independent. Teen milestones such as making friends, dating, getting good grades, or taking on more mature responsibilities, may seem much more difficult. And if you're like countless other anxious teens, you may even avoid situations that cause you anxiety altogether-leaving you stuck in a cycle of worry and avoidance. So, how can you take control of your anxiety before it takes control of you?

Based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), this book helps you identify your "monkey mind"-the primitive part of the brain where anxious thoughts arise. You'll also be able to determine if you suffer from generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, panic and agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or separation anxiety. Full of powerful yet simple cartoon illustrations, this book will teach you practical strategies for handling even the toughest situations that previously caused you to feel anxious or worried.

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Think Good -- Feel Good is an exciting and pioneering new practical resource in print and on the internet for undertaking CBT with children and young people. The materials have been developed by the author and trialled extensively in clinical work with children and young people presenting with a range of psychological problems. Paul Stallard introduces his resource by covering the basic theory and rationale behind CBT and how the workbook should be used. An attractive and lively workbook follows which covers the core elements used in CBT programmes but conveys these ideas to children and young people in an understandable way and uses real life examples familiar to them. The concepts introduced to the children can be applied to their own unique set of problems through the series of practical exercises and worksheets.*10 modules can be used as a complete programme, or adapted for individual use* Little else available for this age range* Can be used as homework or self--help material Available in print and as a downloadable resource on the internet.

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This is a story for children who are anxious or obsessional. Willy is an anxious boy who experiences the world as a very unsafe, wobbly place where anything awful might happen at any time. Joe, the boy next door, is too ordered and tidy to be able to ever really enjoy life. Follow their adventures with the Puddle People who help them break out of their fixed patterns and find far richer ways of living in the world.

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Helping Your Child with Fears and Worries

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Helping Your Child with Fears and Worries

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Fears and worries are very common among children with around 15% thought to suffer from anxiety disorders; the most commonly identified emotional or behavioural problems among children. However, if left unchecked, they can cause more serious problems such as school avoidance, difficulties in making friends and long-term problems with anxiety and depression.

Written by two of the UK's foremost experts on childhood anxiety, this extremely useful guide will enable you to understand what is causing your child's worries and to carry out step-by-step practical strategies to help him or her to overcome them, including:

· Addressing specific fears and phobias as well as general anxiety and 'worrying'
· Using case studies, worksheets and charts

Helping Your Child is a series for parents and caregivers to support children through developmental difficulties, both psychological and physical. Each guide uses clinically-proven techniques.

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Blame My Brain: The Amazing Teenage Brain

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Blame My Brain: The Amazing Teenage Brain

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Contrary to popular (parental) opinion, teenagers are not the deliberately lazy, risk-taking and work-avoiding individuals they sometimes appear to be to the adults around them. During the teenage years the brain is undergoing its most radical and fundamental change since the age of two. Nicola Morgan's carefully researched, accessible and empathetic examination of the ups and downs of the teenage brain has chapters dealing with powerful emotions, gender differences, the need for more sleep, the urge to take risks and the reasons behind addiction or depression. The comprehensively updated edition of this classic bestseller contains important new research and a brand-new chapter on social media, making it an essential guide for teenagers and adults alike.

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Work through a mental health self-help guide for anxiety that uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

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RESOURCES, RELIEF & RESULTS
Our mission is to reduce the barrier of anxiety so you can live the life you want. We offer trusted resources and programs to help people better understand and manage anxiety-and find the relief they need.

01

Feature page

MindShift® CBT App

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MindShift Group Therapy: APPLY NOW

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Monthly Giving

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Anxiety Canada provides self-help resources, programs and services for children, youth, adults and educators on anxiety.

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Anxiety is a natural response to fear, threat and apprehension. Face your fear with the free Clear Fear app and learn to reduce the physical responses to threat as well as changing thoughts and behaviours and releasing emotions.

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The fear of threat, or anxiety, is like a strong gust of wind. It drags you in and makes you want to fight it or run away.

Instead, face your fear with the free Clear Fear app and learn to reduce the physical responses to threat as well as changing thoughts and behaviours and releasing emotions.

Anxiety is a natural response to fear, threat and apprehension. However, when anxiety is extreme or goes on for a long time, or the response to a threat is disproportionately large and affects a person negatively, it may become an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are the most common form of emotional disorder and respond very well to a form of treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT.
When you face your fear, you will reduce the threat and glide.

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Clear Fear is the latest app from award-winning teenage mental health charity stem4.

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Anxiety What is anxiety? Anxiety is a commonly experienced emotion that can range from mild to severe. Feeling on edge, being constantly worried, being fearful or panicked are some of the symptoms of anxiety.

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Supporting Children with Anxiety: Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): 

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Supporting Children with Anxiety: Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): 

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Use access code: scotland2020

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Programmes to help you... feel better get back on track feel calmer thrive To start: Select a Programme or Try the Wellbeing Questionnaire

How It Works

We design programmes to fit into your life. Based on years of clinical research, our methods are proven to help you feel better. Read more

How It Has Helped Others

Nick, 67, on using the Space for Resilience Programme

While my wife was ill my relationship with my daughter wasn't great, we often disagreed about how best to care for her. After she died, I didn't want to keep coasting through life as I was. My main goal for the resilience program was to learn how to cope better with my problems, rather than simply turning a blind eye to them.

Read more about this programme

Personal Story 3

Ayaz

Ayaz 21, on using the Space for Sleep program

I would often cancel plans to see friends from college because I just couldn't find the energy to get out the house. It wasn't until I had been filling out the sleep diary for a few weeks that I realised how little I was actually sleeping. The program showed me how making small changes could have a big impact on the quality of my sleep.

Read more about this programme

Personal Story 4

Jo

Jo, 61, on using the Space from Stress Program

I went to see my physician for a check-up. He told me that my blood pressure was too high. I needed to find a better way to deal with the stress in my life. A therapist also worked in the clinic and spoke to me about SilverCloud. I really didn't see how it could help me. I didn't go back for a while but then my stress levels got worse and I decided to give it another shot.

Read more about this programme

Is it for you?

1 in 4 Source:
people in the world will be affected by a mental health condition
World Health Organisation

68%
of SilverCloud users show significant improvement.
Source: the Berkshire Clinical Trials, NHS

2 in 3 Source:
people with a known mental health condition will never seek help.
World Health Organisation

Still Unsure?

Try this short quiz to find out if one of our programmes might suit you.
Wellbeing Questionnaire
Or, to find out more about being well, check out our wellbeing tips

Welcome to NHS Scotland

These programs are to help support you mental health and wellbeing. We kindly request that you should only access this service if you live in Scotland. Chose from the option that best suits you.

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SilverCloud. Making Space For Healthy Minds

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Programmes to help you... feel better get back on track feel calmer thrive To start: Select a Programme or Try the Wellbeing Questionnaire We design programmes to fit into your life. Based on years of clinical research, our methods are proven to help you feel better.

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National charity helping people with Anxiety - Anxiety UK

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Become a Member of Anxiety UK. We pride ourselves on being user led, with many on our staff and volunteer team having personal experience of anxiety.

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Work through a mental health self-help guide for anxiety that uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

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LIAM: How to Support your child with Anxiety and Worries 

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LIAM: How to Support your child with Anxiety and Worries 

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CAMHS Supporting Your Child With Anxiety and Worries (1)

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This video is part one of our two-part Parent Anxiety Workshop. Experiencing anxiety and worry is normal and common in people of all ages. While we all experience anxiety sometimes, there are times when anxiety and worry can feel very difficult to manage and can have a big impact on really important aspects of our lives. For children and young people experiencing these difficulties, learning a little more about anxiety and ways of overcoming it can be helpful. Within these videos, parents are supported in developing skills and confidence to help their children overcome their difficulties with anxiety. The materials are based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques and, as such, will have a focus on how thoughts, feelings and behaviours have a role in keeping anxiety going and what can be done to change this. This first video focuses on psycho-education, enabling parents and carers to feel they have a greater understanding of anxiety and the factors that maintain anxiety.

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CAMHS Anxiety Management – Relaxation (1)

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This video is part two of our two-part Parent Anxiety Workshop.  Experiencing anxiety and worry is normal and common in people of all ages. While we all experience anxiety sometimes, there are times when anxiety and worry can feel very difficult to manage and can have a big impact on really important aspects of our lives. For children and young people experiencing these difficulties, learning a little more about anxiety and ways of overcoming it can be helpful. Within these videos, parents are supported in developing skills and confidence to help their children overcome their difficulties with anxiety. The materials are based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques and, as such, will have a focus on how thoughts, feelings and behaviours have a role in keeping anxiety going and what can be done to change this. This second video moves on to helping parents and carers support young people in developing practical strategies to manage and face worries.

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What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, fear or unease. It is often experienced as a combination of thoughts, feelings and physical sensations in our body.

All children and young people feel worried sometimes. This is a normal, human reaction to things that feel stressful. For example, before an exam a young person may feel more worried than usual. But they will soon feel calmer after the stressful event has passed.

Anxiety becomes a problem when a child or young person feels stuck in it. When this happens, it can become an overwhelming experience. It can also affect their daily life and limit the things they feel able to do.

If your child or young person is struggling with anxiety, there are things you can do to help them. We've got advice to help you provide reassuring support, work on strategies together and find professional help if they need it.

What makes young people anxious?

A child or young person may be anxious for different reasons. Feeling a bit more worried sometimes is normal and there is not always a clear reason for this. But if your child is feeling unmanageable amounts of anxiety, this is often a sign that something in their life isn't quite right. They may need support to work out what the problem is.

This video by St Catherine's College is a useful way of understanding how stress and anxiety might build up in a person's life.

The following kinds of things can make some children and young people feel anxious:

finding school difficult or experiencing school anxiety

being around someone else who is very anxious, such as a parent

going through a significant change, such as moving house, parents separating or changing school

the death or illness of a close family member or friend

having lots of responsibility, for example caring for other people in their family

experiencing family stress around things like housing, money and debt

going through experiences in which they do not feel safe, such as being bullied, witnessing or experiencing abuse, or experiencing discrimination such as racism, homophobia or transphobia

not getting the right support or having their needs recognised if they have a neurodiverse condition such as autism or ADHD

Signs of anxiety in children and young people

Anxiety often affects our body, thoughts, feelings and behaviour. A child or young person who is struggling with anxiety may also behave differently or start using coping mechanisms to try to manage or avoid the anxiety. Below are some of the signs to look out for in children and young people.

Young people share their experience of anxiety.

How to help your child or young person when they feel panicky

In a very anxious moment, your child or young person may feel frightened or worried about having a panic attack. If this happens, focus on helping them to calm down and feel safe. The strategies below can help.

Breathe slowly and deeply together

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A hand with five fingers spread. A pointed finger shows instructions for moving around each finger with the words 'Breathe in' as you move upwards, and 'Breathe out' as you move downwards.

Together, hold your hands out in front of you. Trace the outline of each of your fingers slowly with your other hand. Breathe in as you go up each finger, and out as you come down. Move and breathe as slowly as feels comfortable. Over time, encourage your child or young person to breathe out for one or two counts longer than they breathe in. This can help their body to relax.

If you would like to have a copy of this technique with you, you can download and print our resource.

Try using all five senses together

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A picture of eyes, an ear, a hand, a nose and a mouth. Text reads next to each one: "5 things you can see. 4 things you can hear. 3 things you can touch. 2 things you can smell. 1 thing you can taste."

Connecting with what we can see, touch, hear, smell and taste is sometimes called 'grounding'. Doing grounding techniques can make us feel more present and bring us back into our body. This can reduce the intensity of our anxiety. Think together about what they can see, touch, hear, smell and taste.

For example, they might notice: five different colours; four soft things in the room; three sounds like cars going past the window or the noise of the washing machine; two things they can smell, like a scented candle or a piece of fruit; and one thing they find soothing to eat.

If you would like to have a copy of this technique with you, you can download and print our resource.

Remember, you don't need to do all of these things each time. Everyone is different, and it's about figuring out which of these strategies suits them best.

After they have calmed down, it can help to remind them that the panicky feeling did not last forever. They were able to do things that helped and the feeling stopped.

How to help your child or young person manage their anxiety

As well as managing panicky moments, your child or young person can also learn how to deal with their anxiety over the longer-term.

Many of these strategies are about helping them to understand how their anxiety works and what helps them. The more confident they feel about this, the more they will believe in their ability to cope. This can make anxiety feel more manageable.

As you think about strategies you might try, always remind yourself you're doing your best. It's natural to feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes. But remember, you do not need to try five different things at once. Have a look through these suggestions and pick one or two things you think might help.

There are some daily activities that are really important for our mental health. These are:

physical exercise, or some movement

sleeping well

eating healthily

drinking water

connecting and spending quality time with loved ones

They might sound simple, but they can have a big effect on our mood. Regular exercise can be particularly important because it can help to reduce feelings of anxiety in the body. It doesn't have to be much - walking or gentle yoga can help.

If you have a teenager or young adult, reducing alcohol and caffeinated drinks such as coffee can help. This is because they can trigger the physical symptoms of anxiety.

Some children and young people will need support from a mental health professional. They may benefit from a specific diagnosis or a treatment such as talking therapy. You can find more information about this below.

Young people tell us it also helps to...

think about something you're looking forward to

imagine your thoughts leaving your brain and floating off into the sky

keep yourself occupied

have time out

reflect on how you're feeling

talk to other people you trust

remind yourself you're not alone - odds are someone in your friendship circle has anxiety or depression too

Finding professional help

You might also find helpful...

Useful helplines and websites

While we take care to ensure that the organisations we signpost to provide high quality information and advice, we cannot take responsibility for any specific pieces of advice they may offer. We encourage parents and carers to always explore the website of a linked service or organisation to understand who they are and what support they offer before engaging with them.

Whether you love the page or think something is missing, we appreciate your feedback. It all helps us to support more young people with their mental health.

Please be aware that this form isn't a mental health support service. If your child is in crisis right now and you want to talk to someone urgently, find out who to contact on our urgent help page.

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Supporting A Child With Anxiety | Tips and Advice

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If your child or teenager is struggling with anxiety, we've got information about signs and treatment, and practical strategies you can do together.