Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. It is perfectly natural, however, sometimes anxiety can be debilitating and may be triggered by certain situations such as school, social situations and is increasingly common in young people.

Movement and mindfulness practices are extremely effective in gaining control over anxiety. Often when we are anxious we feel un-grounded and overwhelmed, making it very difficult to focus and think clearly.
Stress can cause physiological effects, the good news is that there are several ways in which we can move, breathe to bring the attention back to the body in order to release tension, gain clarity and bring the body and mind back into balance. The more we can bring the body into a state of relaxation the more we become familiar with that state and can return to it.

Talking about our anxiety and fear responses and understanding the science behind the way we are feeling and reacting can also be very empowering in demystifying a young person’s experience. We have lots of child-friendly ways in which we can explain what is happening and help the young person to feel less alone and connected.