How to tackle anxiety: Stand Up to Anxiety

Anxious thoughts are a common problem for parents and children alike - arising from school, work, relationships and uncertainty about the future.

When these thoughts become frequent fixtures in the mind, they can lead to unhelpful coping mechanisms - like avoiding worrying situations, having tantrums and changing eating habits. If these thoughts take over they can even lead to depression.

So, how do you tackle these anxious thoughts as they appear? How do you help your child to do the same? Dr Anna Colton explains that, if you treat anxiety like a bully in your mind, you can stand up to that bully…

Dr Anna's technique

• Anxiety can be like a bully in our head, feeding you messages of inadequacy and fear, making you feel low and stressed.
• You can use humour, be rude and shout, to stand up to your anxiety, like you are standing up to a bully.
• You could even laugh or make fun of it.
• If you treat the anxiety like a bully and stand up to it, you can empower yourself by making ‘it’ feel inadequate and small.
• This will help you start to feel in control, rather than controlled by the anxiety.

Try this technique yourself, or, if your child is struggling with anxiety, you could talk them through it step-by-step.

For more ways to tackle anxiety, take a look at the Parents' Toolkit collection.

BBC Action Line has further information and support around mental health for young people and adults