Anxiety When you worry a lot about things that are unlikely to happen, or feel tense and anxious all day long with no real reason. Everyone gets anxious sometimes, but if your worries and fears are so constant that they get in your way and make it hard to do things you’ve done before, you may need to tell a parent/ guardian.

What is Anxiety? The feeling of worry that is not specifically attached to something Sometimes we call it “floating worry” We can feel anxiety and it may show itself through: headaches, aches/ pains, nausea, shaking and sweating. Anxiety is mentally and physically exhausting and it drains your energy, interferes with sleep, and wears your body out. Kids can have anxiety about what will happen in the future and what has happened in the past, as well as being accepted by friends, situations that happen in the family, their personal abilities, and school performance. Children with anxiety often don’t realize that their anxiety is disproportionate to the situation, so they need to learn A national survey of adolescents reported that about 8 percent of teens ages 13–18 have an anxiety disorder, with symptoms commonly emerging around age 6. However, of these teens, only 18% received mental health care.

Different Types of Anxiety Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Worry a lot about a variety of things such as grades, family issues, relationships with peers, and performance in sports. It is a disruption in how your brain controls the signals it uses to identify danger and help you avoid it; it tells you there is danger when there really isn’t. Feeling anxious in response to danger or in new situations is a perfectly normal response. It’s called the fight-or-flight response and helps us survive in dangerous situations. But, someone with anxiety constantly feels tense and on edge, even when there is no danger present.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) This is when someone engages in Compulsions (i.e., repeated behaviors) in order to decrease the anxiety caused by Obsessions (i.e., scary thoughts ). Compulsions vary from person to person. Some common compulsions include: counting, touching, washing, and checking To be OCD, the obsessions and compulsions must significantly interfere with the person’s ability to live his or her life and cause a great deal of distress. Social Anxiety Intense fear of social and performance situations and activities such as being called on in class or starting a conversation with a peer. Specific Phobia A specific phobia is the intense, irrational fear of a specific object (e.g., dog), or a situation (e.g., flying). Common childhood phobias include animals, storms, heights, water, blood, the dark, and medical procedures.

Separation Anxiety When you feel a lot of anxiety when you are away from home or when separated from parents or caregivers. This might make things hard, that used to be easy: going to school, camp, or a sleepover, or demanding that someone stay with you at bedtime. Children with separation anxiety commonly worry about bad things happening to their parents or caregivers or may have a vague sense of something terrible occurring while they are apart.

Anxiety May Look Like: Emotional symptoms of anxiety Constant worries running through your head Feels like your anxiety is uncontrollable; nothing you can do to stop the worrying Strong thoughts about things that make you anxious; you try to avoid thinking about them, and can’t Having a hard time with uncertainty; you need to know what’s going to happen This ongoing feeling of apprehension or dread Behavioral symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder Having a hard time relaxing, enjoying quiet time, or being by yourself Difficulty concentrating or focusing on things Putting things off because you feel overwhelmed Avoiding situations that make you anxious Physical symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder Feeling tense; having muscle tightness or body aches Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep because your mind won’t quit Feeling edgy, restless, or jumpy Stomach problems, nausea, diarrhea

How to Help Yourself Look at your worries in new ways Practice relaxation techniques Learn to calm down quickly Sight – Take in a beautiful view. Go to an art museum. Walk around a pretty neighborhood. Look at treasured photos or an interesting picture book. Sound – Listen to soothing music. Enjoy the sounds of nature: birds singing, ocean waves crashing on the beach, wind rustling through the trees. Smell – Light scented candles. Smell the flowers in a garden. Breathe in the clean, fresh air. Stop by a bakery. Spritz on your favorite perfume. Taste – Cook a delicious meal. Slowly eat a favorite treat, savoring each bite. Enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea. Touch – Pet your dog or cat. Take a warm bubble bath. Wrap yourself in a soft blanket. Sit outside in the cool breeze. Get a massage.

To Cope with Anxiety, Remember A-W-A-R-E The key to switching out of an anxiety state is to accept it fully. Staying in the present and accepting your anxiety will help it disappear. A: Accept the anxiety. Welcome it. Don’t fight it. Replace your anger with the anxiety with acceptance. By resisting it, you make it stronger! Instead, flow with it and don’t allow it to be responsible for how you think, feel, and act. W: Watch your anxiety. Separate yourself from it and Look at it without judgment – not good, not bad. Rate it on a 0-to-10 scale and watch it go up and down. Remember, you’re not your anxiety. A: Act with the anxiety. Act as if you aren’t anxious. Slow down if you have to, but keep going. Breathe slowly and normally. R: Repeat the steps. Continue to accept your anxiety, watch it, and act with it until it goes down to a comfortable level. And it will E: Expect the best. What you fear the most rarely happens. Recognize that a certain amount of anxiety is normal. By expecting future anxiety you’re putting yourself in a good position to accept it when it comes again.

Connect with others Change your lifestyle Limit caffeine and sugar Adopt healthy eating habits Exercise Sleep Tell someone!! Find an adult you trust and talk about it