3 Tips for Helping Children Through Holiday Stress and Anxiety
When it comes to holiday stress and anxiety, we sometimes focus more on ourselves, and we may overlook the stress that our children experience. Kids can be affected by our anxiety, but they have plenty of their own as well.
A lot is going on around holiday time, and that hustling can negatively affect our children. There are natural remedies for anxiety that can help your child beat the holiday stress and blues.
1. Set A Routine
Having a set routine for your child is a great way to help naturally reduce stress. Panic relief at home begins with avoiding surprises and stress. The holidays are a time when routines seem to go out the window for most people.
Your busy holiday can quickly increase your child's stress and anxiety. Set a schedule for them and stick with it. The fewer surprises, the better. Don't over-schedule either – remember, there are only so many hours in the day and only so many days in the week/month.
2. Focus on Diet and Fitness
A healthy diet and a steady exercise routine are two of the best ways to get anxiety relief without drugs. Make sure that your child is continuing to eat balanced meals throughout the day, even during the holiday season. It can be easy to let them fill up on junk food and sweets, but those items add to their stress.
Physical fitness is one of the best natural stress relievers. Bundle your kids up and send them out to play in the snow – even making snow angels is a great fitness exercise. Don't let them spend extra time sleeping and lounging even on holiday break from school – that downtime will only add to their anxiety (and yours).
3. Teach Calm
If your child suffers from anxiety or panic attacks when they are overexerted, holidays can be extra stressful. Finding calm is a great way to find panic attack relief without medication.
Meditation and breathing exercises are both useful for relieving panic attacks and stress. Consider investing in some guided meditations or doing some Yoga exercises together as part of your quality time. If you find it hard to integrate yoga and meditation into your child routine, a product like CalmiGo that requires only 3 minutes of use that can be done on-the-go might be very useful. By applying natural relaxation techniques, your child can feel calmer throughout the holiday season.
You and your child deserve a chance to enjoy the holidays, rather than spending the entire time feeling anxious or even angry. These tips will help provide you and your child natural treatment for anxiety, and a happier holiday season!