Tools for Managing Childhood Anxiety

Mental Health is something to not be afraid of or embarrassed about. It’s just part of us, embrace it. Mason’s been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder(GAD), and I try to teach him that there’s nothing to be ashamed of for having anxiety. He’s not alone, anxiety is the most common mental illness in the US; there are so many treatments and tools to help him. It’s taken a few years to learn what tools help him and we are constantly finding new ones. If you’ve been blessed with a child who has anxiety, finding tools for them to help manage the anxiety is very important. Keep in mind every person is different and maybe something that worked for Mason, won’t work for your child. I’ll share all the tools that we’ve found help Mason manage his anxiety.

1.Bed Tent
Mason received a bed tent for Christmas, it’s floor-less and just sits on top of the bed. It helps him tremendously with his anxiety at night and he gets a better night sleep. They’ve got tents that cover the whole bed or tents that just cover the head that cost less than $20. It helps the child feel secure and helps with that fear of being alone in the dark. 

2. Weighted Vest or Bulky Vest
Although we’ve never tried a weighted vest, Mason has a down vest that is heavy and puffy that he says makes him feel safe. I do notice a difference when he’s wearing it.

3. Fidget Tools
Like I said every child is different, but Mason fidgets a lot. We’ve tried many different fidget tools and all seem to help. You could even make your own with a balloon filled with flour or sand or even tear paper up(one of Mason’s favorite things to fidget with). The tools help him when he’s anxious and fidgets.

4. Vitamins
Because he doesn’t take prescribed medications, vitamins are a huge must have for his mood and behavior. I’ve talked about how beneficial the multi vitamin CALM for Kids has been for him, we can tell within one day if we forget a dose. It has so many of the vitamins and supplements they suggest you take for anxiety and depression. I just wish they’d make an adult version of the vitamin. Natural Vitality can you please do that??

5. Essential Oil Rollers
Have you ever tried essential oil rollers? You can make your own rollers with scents of your choice or you can do what we did and just bought a variety pack with rollers that were already filled. There are so many essential oils that help with depression and anxiety and this rollers just made it easy to throw in your bag and roll on a part of your body to brighten your mood. Let’s you breath it in, it soaks into your skin and one roller last a long time.

6. Wear a bracelet or necklace!
They have different therapy jewelry. You could get a piece of jewelry with a good quote or motivating words on it and read it when you feel like it. They have fidget and sensory jewelry. Or they have oil diffuser jewelry that you drop a couple essential oils on.

7. Noise Cancelling Headphones
This could work or not work with a child who has anxiety. One of the symptoms of anxiety in a child is irritability. So, if the child isn’t embarrassed to wear headphones they can easily cancel the noises around them.

8. Coloring Book
There are some awesome coloring books out there and not just for the young children, for adults too. Coloring could be a calming for the anxious child. 

9. Weighted Blanket
There’s weighted blankets for bedtime which could benefit a child at night. There are also weighted blankets for the lap that could help in the classroom. We’ve actually never tried one of these but I think Mason would benefit from the blanket for bedtime. Have you tried either of the bed or lap blanket?

10. Light Therapy
Mason actually hasn’t tried a light therapy yet, but I was thinking of getting one for next winter when we don’t see the sun very much. But I do know other family members that use it during the winter months to help them.

Please let me know if any of these have helped your child or if you have something that helps your child manage their anxiety. I’d love suggestions for Mason. Thanks for reading.