Children today experience a lot of stress. Stress can be a good thing (giving you a boost of energy for a sporting event, performance, or test). However, too much stress can lead to many unpleasant physical, behavioral, and emotional changes. Some common stressors for kids include big things like moving to a new school (or middle school), parents not getting along or getting divorced, fighting with a friend or sibling, not having enough money, problems with a teacher, not having enough privacy, and taking tests. Smaller things can also cause stress in children, such as being sick or injured, having homework, getting pimples, hard school work, wondering if someone likes you, and having a sibling who is "a pain in the neck". Even some things that kids enjoy can cause them stress, like playing violent video games, listening to loud music too much, eating too much junk food, not getting enough sleep, and not being physically active.
Although you and your child can't eliminate all the stress from their lives (kids will have to do chores, take tests, and learn to manage relationships), there are many things you can do to mitigate the effects of stress. Here are some activity ideas and resources that can help reduce stressful feelings:
Take a walk outside Call a friend Listen to some quiet music (classical, relaxing music) Distract yourself by doing something fun Read a good book Draw a picture Progressive muscle relaxation Guided imagery Cuddle with your cat/dog Make a sand garden Laugh - tell a joke Random Act of Kindness Use positive self-talk Meditate or practice belly breathing for 5-10 minutes Write in a journal Do yoga Knitting or crocheting Make something with clay Go for a jog or play a sport (for fun, not competitive) Throw a ball against wall over and over again Sing