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by Marlaina Donato
Mindful activities It’s important to have always and creative outlets had plenty to be know that anxiety is like art, music and stressed about, such dance ina no-pressure highly treatable. as family finances, environment help parental bickering, ~Dr. Timothy DiGiacomo kids get out of the birth of a sibling “fight-or-flight” mode. and other challenges on the home “Both parents and kids need to have front. Then there are the age-old tensions go-to coping skills,” says Rosen. of taking school exams and squabbles “Meditation and yoga are safe and work with friends and other classmates. very well.” Kids need to feel a sense of Yet with the proliferation of social control over their bodies, he adds, and media and cyber-bullying, kids face mindful breathing techniques can make a obstacles other generations did not, and significant difference in how they handle chronic juvenile anxiety has become stress. a pervasive mental health issue. HowSo can a regular dose of the great outever, there are a number of integrative doors. Exercise helps boost serotonin approaches that can help heal youthful levels, which decreases anxiety. Timothy psyches. “I encourage kids and parents DiGiacomo, Psy.D., clinical director of to focus on skills, versus pills,” says the Mountain Valley Treatment Center, in Lawrence Rosen, M.D., founder Plainfield, New Hampshire, emphasizes of The Whole Child Center, in Oradell, the value of getting outside. “Connection New Jersey. “There are several safe and to nature, calmness and present-moment cost-effective natural options for anxieawareness are all benefits.” ty.”
Mindful Modalities
Relaxing and engaging the imagination are necessary for healthy brain development and offsetting stress. Downtime in general and specifically limiting screen time is paramount. “Electronic devices can be very overstimulating and can cause or exacerbate anxiety,” says Kristi Kiel, ND, Ph.D., of Lake Superior Natural Health, in Ashland, Wisconsin. “There should be at least a one-toone balance of screen time and outside play.”
Sleep and Diet Triggers
Before parents seek any treatment for their child’s anxiety, Kiel stresses the importance of looking at the basics. “When children don’t get enough sleep, their bodies don’t respond as well to stressful situations. School-age children need 10 to12 hours of sleep per night, and teenagers should be getting nine to 10 hours.” Sensitivity to certain foods such as gluten or dairy is also something to consider, says Kiel.
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