feelings and thoughts, hoping they will eventually
go away on their own, will just make overcoming
the issue much more stressful in the end. Although
this is not an easy task for someone with anxiety,
with daily practice, it can dramatically help reduce
anxiety over time.

4. TRY MOVEMENT. An alternative way of
treating anxiety is through dance and movement
therapy. Consider enrolling your child in dance/
movement therapy sessions, which can create
ways to express psychological and emotional
experiences through the mind and body connection,
ultimately transforming words into action. The
dance movements range from simple breathing
to jumping, running, gross motor skills and even
watching movement. This therapeutic modality
provides children the opportunity to work through
psychological challenges, gain control, ease
discomfort, express their feelings about
their anxieties and to be a child again.

5. DE-STRESS EVERY DAY. Learning how to mentally
and physically calm down when anxiety strikes is
something every anxious child should know how to
do. Even the most basic relaxation exercises can
make a big improvement in reducing stress and
anxiety. Simple practices like taking a few deep,
slow breaths when anxious thoughts arise, or closing
the eyes and creating a mental picture of a relaxing
scenario can help to ease an anxious mind. In
addition, teaching your child to adopt the mindset
of living in the present can be tremendously
beneficial. Anticipatory anxiety can be tackled by
practicing mindfulness — being aware of the
moment — observing the sounds, sights, and touch
of the present. Mindfulness has been proven to
help support unwanted stressors.

It’s important to know that all anxiety is not the same.

If you find that your child’s anxiety is becoming too
difficult to manage, don’t be afraid to seek professional
help. The most important thing is to make sure your
child is taking the right steps to resolve the problem.

Lori M. Baudino, PsyD, BC-DMT, is a licensed clinical
psychologist and board-certified dance movement therapist.

She works extensively in private practice specializing in
children and parents.

washingtonFAMILY.com February 2018
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