Guest Post By Cynthya Littell (Confident Parent Coaching)

 

How do you help a child build resilience and reduce anxiety? You can start by determining where a child’s anxiety is coming from and help them identify it. Their anxiety is likely coming from one or more of these six faulty beliefs. Before they can change the behavior, they need to change their beliefs. You can help your child build positive skills to either change their faulty beliefs or to avoid them in the first place.

Six Faulty Beliefs

1. I need to get rid of bad feelings.
2. I am my worry.
3. The worst will happen.
4. I can’t handle it.
5. My worth comes from outside myself.
6. I am disconnected from my inner voice.

Skills to replace the six faulty beliefs

1. Feel the feelings. Worry isn’t scary. The only way out is through.
2. You are not your worry. Name your worry (Fred) and talk to the worry. This helps separate you from your worry.
3. Edit extreme words. I always I’ll never be able to do this.
4. Small steps. I can do one small thing. Then the next small thing.
5. Self-compassion. I am good. I am loved. I am kind. I am beautiful.
6. Mindfulness. Breathing exercises. Pro/Con lists.

 

(Part Three-How to Help Children Build Resilience coming next week!)