4 Tips to Help Your Child With Social Anxiety

Social anxiety can feel debilitating for anyone including children. Anxiety Canada states in any given school year 7% of children will be diagnosed with social anxiety, there are also many that go undiagnosed. Social anxiety does not only impact a child’s social life, it can impact their academic life as anxiety is often accompanied by physiological symptoms that may include headaches, stomach aches, nausea which make it difficult to perform well at school. It can also impact self-esteem and self-confidence. Addressing things earlier on can help your child recover and have fewer long lasting impacts on other areas of their life. Find below some tips to consider. 

1. Put on Your Detective Hat. Once you realize your child has a concern with social anxiety, it is important to start collecting the facts and information. Start to figure out with your child: a)Frequency - in what environments does the anxiety show up and how often, b)Intensity - how intense the feeling is for your child (using a scale from 0 to 10 can be helpful), c)Duration - how long the feeling lasts. Reach out to your child’s teacher during the school year to set up a time to speak about any observations in the classroom of your child’s strengths and challenges with social interactions. Also reach out to any other professionals who have regular contact with your child in a group setting, such as coach, instructor, or daycare provider.
2. Find the Right Support. Based on the information you gather, you can reach out to your family doctor to see their recommendations. You can see if your school provides any supports. Most children benefit from some individual support before group support. With the right supports including coping tools, understanding of anxiety, and gradual exposure to social situations children can recover. I have helped many children and youth over the years overcome social anxiety, feel free to reach out and we can discuss how I can help your child.
3. Increase your Understanding of Social Anxiety. The more you understand social anxiety, the more you understand what your child is going through so they feel less alone. The more knowledge you have usually the more empowered you feel. Anxiety Canada, SickKids and CAMH are a good place to start. There are support groups for parents and 211 is a good place to start to find local groups in your area. There is also individual supports for parents in helping their child in the journey to recovery. I also have supported many parents over the years in navigating the journey and supporting their child.
4. Encourage your child each step of the way. Each small gain helps your child move in the direction they need to go. In the beginning sometimes parents or children can get discouraged when something isn’t working or there is only small shifts. Sometimes it is about finding the right combination of supports and tools. Other times it is about trusting the process, and small shifts in the right direction can build into leaps and bounds. Your child having your support in the journey is one of the most powerful things you can offer.

If you need additional support reach out to me I am Nicole Levy and I would be happy to help. Book an initial consult directly though  https://oab.owlpractice.ca/mindfulhealingjourney/booking