Anxious About the News?

It's safe to say that many people are feeling anxious right now considering current events. Our lives have been temporarily uprooted, and we don't know when our normalcy will return. Even individuals who are not generally anxious are feeling the weight of this virus and all that it brings.

What can we do about these anxious feelings taking residence in our brain?

It is common to experience anxiety when things in our life seem out of our control. Students frequently come to my office dealing with anxiousness related to divorce, custody issues, financial struggles, relationship troubles, and more. The reality is that many of these problems are adult issues and completely out of the student's control. Even though they cannot control the issues, they are still affected by them! We cannot control this virus or the complications it brings, but it still affects us.

If your child spends much time in my office, this exercise is nothing new to them. It is called the Circle of Control. We start with two circles-- a smaller one inside of a larger one. Inside the inner circle we write things we can control (our attitude, our actions, our hygiene, our behavior, etc). Inside the outer circle we write things we cannot control (money issues, parents arguing, parent lost job, etc). Below is an already completed version specific to our current circumstances.

As we start to let go of the things we cannot control and put our energy into the things we can, we often notice the anxiety releasing its hold on us. This is an activity I encourage you to utilize anytime you notice your child is struggling with lots of worry. Help them focus on things within their control and encourage them to feel empowered by those!

Also, protecting youth from adult issues is incredibly important. Avoid talking about relationship troubles, financial strains, and etc in front of them. Turn off the news-- help them understand the basics of the situation in age appropriate terms and leave the adult problems to the adults!

Thanks for reading! I hope the Circle of Control activity helps your family. Below is a blank version you can print or you can always draw one too!