7 Ways On Overcoming Social Anxiety In Children
- mannatsrivastava66
- Oct 7, 2021
- 4 min read
What is Social Anxiety in Kids?
Social anxiety (social phobia) isn’t simply a fear of connecting or interacting with friends. It is characterized by an intense fear of social situations in which a kid might fear being judged or getting negatively scrutinized by others.
Children with social anxiety disorder experience intense feelings of hysteria about several different triggers including speaking before others, reading aloud, fear of being evaluated by others, fear of offending others, fear of embarrassment, and fear of conversing with unfamiliar individuals. Children with social anxiety disorder get distressed in a lot of social situations (school, enrichment classes, teams, playdates, and even family reunions.)
Social anxiety disorder can cause significant distress for kids and may hurt their academic performance, self-confidence, social relationships, and other areas of functioning. Children with social anxiety disorder avoid engaging in activities like sports or other group activities with their peers due to fear of judgment and embarrassment.
Parents can help their kids with a social anxiety disorder by understanding the cause and nature of the disease and teaching them the way to minimize their symptoms.
How to tell if Your Child is suffering from Social Anxiety?
The defining feature of social anxiety disorder includes marked fear or anxiety about social situations within which the person may get subjected to possible judgment and negative scrutiny by others. Examples include social interactions, being observed by others, and competing with them.
The person fears that they are going to behave or show anxiety symptoms which will be negatively judged.
The social situations always trigger fear or nervousness (in kids, this may manifest as tantrums, crying, clinging, failure to speak, or freezing up).
Social situations are avoided or experienced with intense feelings of fear and anxiety.
The fear or anxiety is out of proportion as compared to the actual threat.
The fear, anxiety, and avoidance lasts for six months or more.
Causes clinically significant stress in social, occupational (school), or other areas of life.
Dread of social events which will occur weeks later.
Excessive clinging to familiar people.
Tantrums when faced with anxiety-provoking social situations.
Blaming others for perceived social failures.
Physical symptoms include excessive blushing, shaky voice, racing heart, nausea, trembling, difficulty in speaking.
7 Tips to Deal with Social Anxiety in Kids
1. Recognizing and Accepting the Disorder
The best start to assist your child deal with social anxiety is to first recognize and accept it. Children suffering from social anxiety disorder are aware that they feel fearful and anxious in social situations, but they aren't always aware of the reason. Helping them connect the dots between emotional responses, physical symptoms, and triggers can be a crucial start toward learning to cope. You may consider educating your child about how anxiety impacts their thinking and behavior because it could motivate them to learn the ways to deal with negative emotions.
2. Teach Relaxation Strategies
Kids can learn a range of tools to use when feeling anxious and overwhelmed. It’s nearly impossible to use adaptive coping strategies when they are experiencing intense physical symptoms of anxiety. Therefore, you may teach them the following techniques to calm the anxious response-
Deep Breathing-
You may teach your kid to imagine blowing up a balloon while engaging the diaphragm in deep breathing. You can also experiment by telling them to count out to help slow the breathing.
Guided Imagery-
Your kid may also visualize a relaxing adventure within their minds while engaging in deep breathing. You can try out telling a quick story in a low and even voice to help your child find their center.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation-
Anxious kids tend to tense their muscles when they are under stress. Consider teaching your kid to relax their muscles and release tension beginning with their hands and arms. You can make a fist and hold it tight for five seconds, then slowly release. You can then move on to the arms, neck and shoulders, and feet and legs.
3. Teach Cognitive Reframing
You may also teach your child to acknowledge negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. If your child tends to mention things like, “My teacher thinks I’m stupid because I’m bad at reading,” help them recognize the negative thought, ground it in reality (a teacher’s job is to assist kids to learn and to not judge them on what they already know), and replace it with a positive thought (“I’m having a tough time reading but my teacher will help me improve.”)
4. Teach Problem-Solving Skills
You may also consider teaching your kid to work through feelings of fear and anxiety by developing problem-solving skills. For instance, if your kid fears public speaking- they can practice several times at home before a mirror, have someone record them, find the friendly face in the room and make eye contact, and use deep breathing to calm their anxiety.
Additionally, you may help your child identify their triggers and brainstorm potential problem-solving strategies to work through those triggers.
5. Work on Friendship Skills
While you can’t make friends for your child, you may instead help your child practice friendship skills. To make your child even more curious, you can practice these skills using role-play and modeling to assist them in feeling relaxed with their peers-
Greetings.
Sliding in and out of groups.
Conversation starters.
Listening and responding.
Asking follow-up questions/making follow-up statements.
6. Seek Professional Help
If social anxiety disorder negatively affects your child’s ability to attend school, socialize, or affects other areas of functioning- it may be the correct time to seek an evaluation from a licensed mental health professional. The positive news is that social anxiety disorder is largely treatable. Kids can also learn to deal with their symptoms and implement strategies that work across a wide range of settings.
7. Focus On Progress, Not Perfection
Lastly, you can also try out helping your child to concentrate on the process rather than the goal. You can tell them how fun it's to play sports, or how much you like to hear them practicing the flute. This can also be a superb time to encourage learning about the growth mindset, and how making mistakes is also a part of it. You can also consider reminding them of the importance of “yet.” You as a parent are not an expert YET, and likewise, your child is not an expert fiddler YET.
Online Courses with BaaBee TV
Social anxiety in kids might also discourage them to pursue their hobbies through physical classes. To combat this problem, consider enrolling your kids in online hobby courses at BaaBee TV. This will ensure that their learning process and overall personality development aren't hampered by their social anxiety.
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