How incorporating a family mindfulness schedule can help to support your child with anxiety.
Having a child who is experiencing anxiety can leave a parent or caretaker feeling lost and helpless. Please know, that by even reading this you are doing a great job and demonstrating that you want to support your child the best you can.
As a counsellor working with children, parents often reach out to me for some support and guidance on how they can best support their child. I am a huge advocate of having a Family Mindfulness Schedule and have received amazing feedback from families that have made it a daily practice in their home.
Incorporating a Family Mindfulness Schedule may sound like a lot of hard work, but it can actually be done really seamlessly and in a way that doesn’t interfere with your day to day commitments.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is simply the act of being aware of the present moment. Its about tuning into your senses and being in touch and aware of your surroundings, in the moment. With practice, mindfulness can improve emotional awareness because we are making space to tune into our thoughts, feelings and experiences.
It also can help to reduce anxiety and stress.
Here are some simple ways you can model mindfulness to your child and teach them to be in the present moment.
In the Morning
Upon waking, spend a few minutes with your child checking in with their senses. Take turns to name things you see, hear, feel, smell and taste. Encourage them to notice things that they may usually overlook, like the sound of the birds or the fluffiness of their pillow or duvet.
Have Mindful Check In’s
Encourage your child to build the habit of checking in with themselves and paying attention to what’s happening around them. Anxiety is almost always about the future and sometimes the past, so developing the skill of living in the here and now can be really helpful.
By linking the ‘check in’ with a daily habit such as a meal time, communicates to your child that they have space to share their thoughts and feelings, if they need to.
Mindfulness On The Go
You can incorporate mindfulness activities even when you are out and about. When travelling by car, or walking to school you can have a game of ‘I spy’, or count every red car you pass, get creative and encourage your child to come up with their own mindful activities.
These simple games can be super fun, whilst also being a great and effective grounding technique.
Mindfulness Box
Using any old box (shoes boxes work great), you can help your child to make a mindfulness box. Simply decorate the box and collect interesting items to pop inside. Encourage your child to pick things that have interesting textures, different weights, scents etc to engage all their senses. They can visit this box for a mindful experience at any time they wish.
I hope that you find this helpful and you feel more equipped to support your child with their anxiety / worries.
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Working with adults, children and young people 