Being a child in today’s society can be very stressful, so School Entrance Tests decided to make a quiz. We called it,
How stressed is your child?
Our How stressed is your child? survey
Not only do they have to deal with puberty and the normal stresses of childhood, but also the added strains of technology, social media and higher academic expectations.
It might be a good idea to have a look at your child’s stress levels. Stress can be debilitating and might be manifested in a wide range of symptoms. Stress symptoms can affect your child’s body, thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
These include:
- Headaches
- Tummy ache, upset tummy
- Exhaustion / low energy levels
- Aches and pains
- Sore muscles
- Lowered immune system / frequent colds or infections
- Altered sleeping patterns/insomnia
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Being overly emotional
However low your child’s stress levels may be, there is always room for improvement. For high-stress levels, we will provide you with some great ways to combat stress.
However, these are some great strategies to implement to guard against these.
- Exercise.
- Get out there, in nature if possible.
- Go for a walk, take your bicycle, but get out there and get your blood flowing.
- Good eating habits. Have a look at this very interesting blog regarding this. How to stay healthy during exams
- Consider supplements like Magnesium, Iron and Vit D3
- Spend time away from screens
- Spend time with family and friends
- Get enough sleep
- Last, but not least LAUGH!
Coronavirus: addressing anxiety in young people
Coronavirus: addressing anxiety in young peopleÂ
Share these tools and steps with young peopleÂ
As well as the concerns we’re all feeling right now, older pupils are likely to also be worried about their exams and life after school.Â
Reassure them that more guidance will come and tell them you’ll share any news with them as soon as you have it.Â
Deal with the news head-on and talk about it openly and calmly, giving them the factsÂ
- Give them age-appropriate information
- Educate them about reliable sources of information and how some stories on social media may be based on rumours or inaccurate informationÂ
- Encourage them to take breaks from listening to or reading the news – overexposure isn’t helpfulÂ
Encourage questionsÂ
- This will give young people the confidence to reach out and ask, if they have anything to askÂ
- Use comforting tones and be honest when answering questions – it’s ok if you don’t have all the answersÂ
- Allow for repetition – young people tend to repeat themselves when they’re feeling uncertain or worried, so you may have to answer the same questions more than once as they seek extra reassuranceÂ
Be a role modelÂ
- Recognise and manage your own worries firstÂ
- Be open about sharing this – e.g. I’m also finding the news a bit worrying, so I’m doing X which makes me feel calmÂ
Let them know it’s normal to be concernedÂ
- If needed, reassure them that the effects of this virus on healthy young people are usually mildÂ
Promote awareness of our body’s immune systemÂ
- Explain that we’re taking precautions because the virus is a new one which our immune system hasn’t developed resistance against.Â
- Remind them of the benefits of healthy eating, sleep and exercise – which help to boost our immune system.Â
Be aware of children with higher levels of anxiety (e.g. those with existing phobias or obsessive-compulsive disorders)
- Get them to do activities such as sorting tasks which can help with heightened levels of anxietyÂ
- Encourage them to use relaxation techniques such as controlled breathingÂ
- Detect any obsessive or compulsive behaviours early and intervene before they become entrenched patterns of thinking. Do this by challenging unhelpful thoughts and assumptions. Frame worries as situation-specific by relating them to the current situation, which is temporary and unusualÂ
Keep doing your bit to help young people reduce the spread of germsÂ
- remind young people to wash their handsÂ
- Encourage them to sing ‘happy birthday’ twice when they’re washing their handsÂ