Social anxiety is very common these days, especially in children. If you’ve ever wondered how to help a child with social anxiety, you are not alone. This article will explore a few methods that can help relieve a child’s stress.
This type of anxiety inhibits a child’s ability to effectively manage ordinary social situations such as school, family, and otherwise fun activities. While it’s common for many children to experience a level of anxiety when embarking on new situations such as a new house, a new team sport, challenging friend situations, or even the first day of school, social anxiety may persist and not improve. When children experience social anxiety, many times the adults around them just think it’s a “phase” that they will just “ get over”. When children aren’t heard and their feelings swept under the rug, social anxiety can become worse, impacting their lives and health in other ways.
How to Help a Child with Social Anxiety Post-Pandemic
In our post-covid world, children have returned to school after spending a few years at home. During the height of the pandemic, their social lives were confined. Many families turned to online activities such as social media, video games, streaming video chats, and texting. They even attended school using a streaming link. For developing children, this level of isolation may have become a normal state. The real world may then be seen as a source of anxiety and intense discomfort. Some kids were left feeling that the world is an unsafe place and retreated inwards. Social anxiety isn’t a phase or an excuse that kids use to get out of going to school, it’s real and serious. Many concerned parents search for ways of how to help a child with social anxiety.
When kids re-enter the IRL, the in-real-life world of face-to-face interactions, it’s common for them to experience a level of stress and anxiety. Normal levels of anxiety may exhibit as initial shyness, apprehension when engaging in group activities, and even a temporary avoidance of certain situations. This is a normal response, but needs to be supported by parents acknowledging that these feeling are valid and difficult.
Parents can help their kids cope with these feelings by initiating conversation about their feelings of stress and anxiety. Using the “How many slices of pizza happy and sad are you today?” method can help young kids learn to voice their feelings. Parents or caregivers can also encourage other stress reducing activities including exercise or sports, creative activities, walking in nature, and massage therapy. After all, your children are resilient and the earlier they learn coping skillls, the less anxiety will be an issue as the mature.
Massage and Childhood Anxiety
Massage isn’t just for adults. It’s a terrific way to help children and teens manage stress and anxiety. It’s used all over the world to help ease the stress that life can deliver. Massage helps tight muscles relax causing our bodies release stress chemicals such as cortisol and our minds have a tendency to follow suit. The massage environment that professional licensed massage therapists create is also helpful. If you’re searching for methods of how to help a child with social anxiety, massage can help.
After all, experienced pediatric licensed massage therapists work to create an environment that is calming and soothing to their clients’ minds, bodies, and souls. Professional massage therapists dim the lights, play soothing ambient tunes. During the massage session itself, children are the the ones in charge and run the show. This power dynamic is very important, make sure your pediatric massage therapist and you are on the same page. It’s through this mutual trust that the child can learn to relax and release tension. In this way, children can feel heard and respected by adults and find a place to heal. The professional massage environment is a safe space where kids can relax and decompress from the outside world so they can learn to just be kids again.
How to Help a Child with Social Anxiety : Massage Therapy
Parents can discuss massage with their child’s massage therapist and discover ways to help support regular professional massage treatments. Many insurance plans will cover massage and help make regular massage therapy sessions possible. Massage can become a way for parents to bond with their children and to help them overcome social anxiety or to simply decompress from a day at school.
Since few kids will refuse the great feeling a massage imparts, kids are likely to enjoy the experience. Once they begin to relax, they may chose to talk more freely than before. They may discuss their day at school, friends, or maybe what’s troubling them. This time can be a terrific way for parents to check-in with their kids. Kids will love a chance to relax and talk with their parent. Without the distraction of screens, blaring music, and their siblings, thye will gain even more stress release.
Why Massage Helps Kids with Anxiety
While a professional massage therapy session is a great way to reduce childhood social anxiety, the after-care can be just as healing. Parents can take advantage of the time immediately following a massage therapy session to see how their kids feel. When kids can reflect on how they felt before versus after a professional massage therapy session, they gain insight. Children will learn to regualte their own stress responses. The next time they feel overwhelmed in a social situation, they may realize the feeling is a temporary situation. As result, your child may learn to curb those negative feedback loops that can cause anxiety. There is hope and finding out how to help a child with social anxiety can be hard. But know that your child is resilient and has you as a guide and advocate. With your help, they will learn to thrive.
Sources
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/school-refusal-when-a-child-wont-go-to-school-2018091814756
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353561
