Helping Kids and Young Adults Manage Anxiety

Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • June 25, 2021

Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. It is not only confined to adults. In the last decade or so, it is affecting children and teens from as young as 4 years of age right through adolescence and into adulthood.

Anxiety, if left untreated, the physiological factors (the chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system) can cause severe illness and disease in the body and mind. Anxiety is a physiological experience - it causes stress. We may get clammy hands, our heart may race and we start imagining all the horrible things that may or may not happen to us or a loved one. We are filled with worry.

For kids, they may become anxious over many different things and display many signs of anxiety. There are ways though we can help our kids manage their anxiety, and ways we can help to reduce their anxiety.

Diet

There are many causes of anxiety in our kids and adolescents. From a yoga therapy perspective, one of the key factors in many cases of anxiety in kids and teens is their diet. There has been lots of research lately about the impact food has on our mood - often coined as Mood Food. Information about the link between the gut and mood is showing that vitamins B6 and B12 as well as Magnesium have a massive impact on mood. Diverse, nutrient-rich diets can be protective of the brain and mood. A diverse, nutrient-rich diet can be protective of your brain and mood. Include foods that promote gut health in your child's diet, such as yoghurt, garlic, leeks, Jerusalem artichoke, kefir, foods rich in dietary fibre (whole grains, plant foods) and colourful fruits and vegetables. Reducing sugar, processed foods and artificial colourings and flavourings is also beneficial for supporting anxiety.

Yoga and Mindfulness

There are many aims of yoga in alleviating stress and anxiety in kids and teens. Yoga sessions for anxiety aim to calm and still the mind; calm the nervous system; build confidence and sense of self; build self-esteem and self-worth; teach tools to release anxiety, stress and worry; teach tools to self-calm; build power and energy and much more.

This is done by practicing targeted asanas specific to the meridians that are associated with emotions, as well as strengthening the lower back and spine and improving energy flow. A multi-faceted approach is used. Yoga is not just about physical asanas, or postures. Targeted asanas, along with breathing techniques, relaxation techniques such as visualisations, guided meditations and Yoga Nidra are also important when guiding kids and teens to alleviate their anxiety. Journaling, list-making (such as My Strengths or My Positive Qualities), affirmations, mindful colouring and massages are all great tools as well. Learning to slow down and chill out are vital tools to learn at a young age to carry with you into adulthood, and all of the areas of yoga are very worthwhile here.

Mindfulness Programs, such as Panda Kids 8 Week Mindfulness Program are aimed at lessening anxiety and stress and helping kids increase their resiliency. This program is tailored for kids and is available for kids 5-18 years of age. It is valuable in providing kids with lifelong tools to have in their toolbox to help them cope throughout their entire life

Essential Oils

Essential oils are a wonderful natural way to help ease anxiety in kids and teens. All natural therapeutic based essential oils can provide support.

Use a diffuser or apply the following oils topically to help calm and uplift. Dilute the oils for young children. Applying on the soles of the feet is a great place to topically apply essential oils for kids, as well as the parts of the body in the image below. You can even create your own blend of two or three oils to create a custom stress and anxiety-relieving effect.

Roman Chamomile essential Oil has calming and relaxing properties.
Royal Hawaiian™ Sandalwood essential oil encourages deeper meditation and has an uplifting effect.
Lavender Essential Oil calms the mind and body.
Cedarwood Essential Oil promotes relaxation, balance, and increased mental focus.
Valerian Essential Oil was historically regarded for its calming properties.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil relaxes the mind and uplifts emotions.
KidScents Essential Oils - great range of essential oil blends specifically targeted for kids

Please note: Not all essential oils are equal. Please do your research on the company you buy your essential oils from. Ensure the product you buy is natural from the seed through to the seal (bottled) stage. Ensure thorough testing is done at all stages of harvest and production, and that the plants are grown ethically. Beware of any products that have 'fragrance' on their label, as the chances are very high that this product will contain potentially harmful endocrine disrupting chemicals. I only recommend Young Living Essential Oils. If you would like more information on choosing essential oils please don't hesitate to contact me. If you would like to know how to purchase your essential oils and products for 24% off, contact me!

Crystals

Crystals are amazing tools for helping children manage anxiety. Children are far more open to alternative and natural healing modalities than adults are. Children don't judge the reason why things work, they just know what feels good to them. They don't know why they are drawn to certain things, but they feel when something is helping them. The beautiful colours will attract kids, but crystals go far deeper than being beautiful sparkly stones. The energetic qualities of crystals helps to balance our bodies vibrations to match that of the crystal, in turn helping to heal our bodies. Just like kids know their favourite teddy bear, song or memory helps them calm, they take comfort in the vibrations of the crystals.

Some crystals that are especially useful for kids of all ages to help manage their anxiety are:

Amethyst: eases tension; calms the mind; helps focus (also great to place on the bedside table at night to help sleep and reduce nightmares)

Blue Lace Agate: Calming, soothing; helps anger, temper and bad mood; amplifies the power of affirmations when spoken

Carnelian: boosts metabolism and improves vitamin absorption (remember how important diet is in managing anxiety); grounds you in present reality; calms anger and negativity; helps depression

Citrine: imparts joy and inner calm; raises self-esteem and confidence; removes destructive tendencies; enhances motivation, concentration and self-expression; helps to be less sensitive to criticism; promotes optimism; overcomes depression, fears, anger

Labradorite: relieves stress; calms overactive mind

Clear Quartz: known as the Master Healer, Clear Quartz is great for supporting the whole body; great for concentration and memory

Rose Quartz: brings deep inner healing and self love; great emotional healer; calming, reassuring, excellent for trauma/crisis; releases unexpressed emotions (great to hold when saying affirmations)

Smoky Quartz: antidote to stress (place one in each hand and sit quietly); helps during difficult times; fills spaces with positive energy; relieves fear, lifts depression and brings emotional calmness; promotes sleep (place under pillow)

Sodalite: calms the mind and brings emotional balance; helps with panic attacks; helps you be who you are, great for self-esteem

Black Tourmaline: grounding; self-confidence; diminishes fear, tension and stress; stops negative thoughts

There are many ways your kids can use crystals. They may simply start a rock collection or simply have them lined up on a shelf in their bedroom. You do not need all of the crystals mentioned above, they are just some of the choices that can help. Let your child choose a crystal/s that resonate with them, that they are drawn to. Other ways to use crystals are:

wearing a crystal bracelet, necklace or earrings
place them on the bedside table
create crystal mandalas
holding them when watching tv or reading a book
place them under the pillow at night
place under the bed
carry them in a drawstring bag / pouch
put them in a backpack pocket
place them on their chakras as they are laying down listening to a story or music
create crystal grids
play with the crystals
make gem elixirs
place a crystal in a pocket or bra
have them on the desk when studying or completing homework

Please note: always use crystals mindfully with young children. Always supervise young children when they are wearing or playing with small crystals.

Music

Music can have a profound effect on the physical, mental and emotional body. Generally speaking, music with a faster tempo can make you feel more alert and concentrate better. Upbeat music helps you to feel more optimistic and positive about life. A slower tempo can be useful to quiet your mind and relax your muscles. Music is effective for relaxation and stress management. Again, your child and teen will know what sort of music appeals to them and helps them to feel calmer or to lift them when they are feeling down or overwhelmed.

Singing Affirmations

Just like music, singing affirmations is a great tool to use to help ease stress and anxiety. Spoken affirmations are wonderful. Adding a melody to a spoken affirmation is like having affirmations on steroids! Adding a melody to an affirmation helps the whole brain become active, allowing to regulate the respiratory rate, helping it to lower as singing is a form of controlled breathing. Singing helps kids to practice controlled breathing without them even knowing what they are doing. It also helps to activate the vagus nerve, which is the very first port of call in reducing anxiety. The more we repeat the words over and over and over again, the more our brain starts to believe it and it creates a sense of safety.

Massages

Who doesn't love a good massage. A massage can be as simple as a hand or foot rub, or it can be a back and shoulder rub as well. Kids (and adults) calm very quickly when they are given a massage. Its great to teach our kids to give themselves, as well as others, massages. Kids can give themselves a foot or leg massage when they are reading, watching tv, or listening to music. Adding some essential oils to a massage, especially before bedtime can go a long way to helping not only reduce anxiety, but also fostering a great bed time routine to aid sleep. It's not only little kids that love this, it can be great for bonding with your teens too. Family massages are great. Sit in a circle, and give the person in front of you a shoulder and back rub, then turn the other way and do it again! Each person is not only giving a massage but they are also receiving a massage. A beautiful family bonding moment.

Resources

There are many resources available to help you help your child manage anxiety. Here are just a few I recommend:

Useful Websites

If you have any questions or would like more information on helping your child or teen manage anxiety, please contact me.

If you would like information on Kids or Young Adults Yoga Sessions, Yoga Therapy for Kids or Young Adults, Family Yoga or our Kids Mindfulness Program for Kids and the Mindfulness Program for Young Adults, please contact me.

If you would like to know more about how to get your essential oils at 24% off, please contact me.

*When you buy something using the retail links above, we may earn a small commission on some of the links. Essential Wellness Yoga only recommends items we use, trust and love.*

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By Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • October 14, 2022

Why is yoga and yoga therapy for older students so beneficial and why do they require special attention? When discussing the needs of older students, we are referring to those aged over 50. You may be surprised that we class 50 and over older, however these students present with a more unique history than our younger students. Therefore it is important to provide yoga sessions or yoga therapy that is suited to their special needs. Along with the usual intake steps that apply to all students, when looking at older students we need to pay particular attention to things such as: injury history and medical conditions lifestyle factors medications aims and expectations Injury history and medical conditions Injury history and medical conditions are important details that your yoga teacher should know regardless of your age. You may not know what is relevant to your yoga practice, so it is important to inform your yoga teacher or yoga therapist of your medical history, medical conditions and injury history. This allows us to provide practices that can support certain body or organ systems Lifestyle factors Lifestyle factors are extremely important to consider when planning a yoga practice for older students. Things to pay attention to include sleep quality, energy level and nutrition Medication Medication can have a huge impact on the type of yoga practice older students should be doing. Certain medications can change your balance, coordination and pain perception. Informing your yoga teacher or yoga therapist can allow them to provide a safe practice for your individual circumstances. Key Areas For Focus in Yoga We aim to maintain a healthy range of motion: Moving the body in different directions - forwards, backwards, side bending and rotation all encourage tissue elasticity, lubrication and circulation. Improve posture: As we age we tend towards flexion, which can create flow-on effects on bone loading, breathing, digestion, energy, and mood. Building the back body and posterior shoulder strength, as well as allowing time in 'neutral' positions of the spine is important. Postures such as chest openers and shoulder stretches as well as deep breathing is very beneficial. Working and strengthening under-utilised areas such as the back and posterior shoulders, the glutes, core and upper body Improving stability and preventing falls with poses that coordinate opposite sides of the body, standing and kneeling poses, foot awareness work and moving from pose to pose are key areas to work on as we age. Down-regulating the nervous system by emphasising the parasympathetic nervous system through mindful movement, Yoga Nidra, body scans, yin and restorative poses, Savasana, breath work and meditation. Cultivating acceptance of the stage of life we find ourselves in is extremely important. This may involve a gradual withdrawal from family and worldly life, to prepare for life as we age. Concepts from yoga philosophy can be helpful here - svadhyaya (self-study), vairagya (non-attachment) and santosha (contentment) There are many tools of yoga that can support the body, mind and emotions as we age. Why not give yoga or yoga therapy a try and see what it can do for you.