3 Practical Ways to Help Your Anxious Child

Anxiety can be tough for children to manage, and as parents, it’s not always easy to know how best to support them. While reassurance is important, children also need practical tools to help them cope when worry takes over. Here are three simple but effective ways to help an anxious child build confidence and resilience.

1. Make Worries More Manageable with a ‘Worry Window’

Anxious thoughts can take over at any time, making it hard for children to focus or enjoy their day. Instead of dismissing their worries, we can give them a set time each day to talk about them – a ‘worry window’. This could be 10–15 minutes after school or before bed, where they can offload anything on their mind. If worries pop up outside this time, you can remind them (and they can tell themselves), “Let’s save that for the worry window.” This helps children contain their anxiety rather than letting it spiral throughout the day. The science behind this approach is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which suggests that essentially ‘scheduling’ worry time helps prevent rumination and teaches children that they can control when and how they engage with anxious thoughts, rather than being controlled by them.

2. Encourage ‘Brave Practice’

Avoidance makes anxiety stronger, so the best way to help a child overcome fears is to gently encourage small steps towards facing them. If they’re anxious about speaking in class, start with something low-pressure, like practising at home or answering a question in a smaller group. Gradually increasing challenges at their own pace helps them build confidence and shows them they can handle it. Research suggests that gradually introducing children to situations that make them anxious, while ensuring they feel supported, can help rewire the brain’s response to fear, making those situations feel less daunting over time. Which is also why clubs like ours are so important because we provide a safe and empowering space for girls to practice the things they find hard.

3. Help Them Develop a Calm-Down Routine

When anxiety spikes, it can be difficult for children to self-soothe. Teaching them a simple calm-down routine can help them regain control in stressful moments. This might include taking slow, deep breaths, stretching or using grounding techniques like pressing their feet into the floor and focusing on what they can see, hear and touch. Research shows that these techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body shift from ‘fight or flight’ mode into a more relaxed state. Having a go-to routine gives children a sense of control when anxiety creeps in.

By using these strategies, you’re helping your child develop skills to manage their anxiety, rather than letting it manage them.