Back to School Anxiety?
A Great & Effective Technique for You and Your Kids!
Heading back to school can be stressful at the best of times. Given everything we’ve been through over the past year and a half, your level of back to school stress may have ramped up like crazy!
Not to worry! Our Child and Family Counsellor Wendy Monks-Janzen (and a Momma of 2) comes to the rescue.
Below you’ll find a short article Wendy has written, plus a great and effective technique to help parents and kids, alike.
Do you find yourself feeling anxious now that your children are back to school? Are you wondering (or worrying), what will this year bring us, with the potential of the 4th wave of the pandemic?
You’re not alone, your children may also feel uncertain about the school year ahead. As a mother of two myself, I too, have found my thoughts drifting towards the anticipated uncertainty.
There is a helpful tool we can use with our children to calm those feelings and even ours as well, and how we respond through our behaviour—using the metaphorical Turtle Technique!
Imagine a turtle and its capability to retreat into its shell, usually feeling safer inside. We too can learn to retreat, and avoid reacting, when we are feeling overwhelmed with emotion or a triggered situation. We are learning to control how we respond, and this only takes 4 easy steps.
1. First, recognize when you are feeling—insert emotion A.
2. Next, think the word STOP! And imagine yourself retreating into your shell, ligaments and all.
3. Then, take 3 deep breathes and remind yourself that you can make calm positive solutions.
4. Finally, when you are feeling calm, you can begin to come out of your imaginative shell once again and can then use these thoughtful solutions to address the concern at hand.
The best part about this strategy is that you and your children can use this anywhere at anytime! A simple visual signal—raising your hand and clenching your first—can remind your children that they may made need to retreat safely.
Thanks so much, Wendy! Great advice.
If anyone in your family is struggling with stress or anxiety, Wendy would love to work with you. She works with children of all ages, youth, and adults.
Book your appointment with Wendy, here.
Cheers to a safe and fun school year with less stress and anxiety.
Penney