How Fear and Anxiety Can Affect a Child’s Learning

 Persistent fear and anxiety can affect a young child's ability to learn and develop appropriately. 

In the UK, anxiety disorders are estimated to affect 5-19% of all children and adolescents.

The following signs might alert you to the possibility that a child is suffering from anxiety, if they are:
Becoming socially withdrawn.
Isolating themselves and avoiding spending time with their friends.
Becoming clingy.
Seemingly nervous or ‘on edge’ a lot of the time.
Lacking concentration.
Lacking confidence.
Suffering panic attacks or feeling overwhelmed.
Being irritable, tearful, upset, or angry.
Having trouble sleeping, including having nightmares or bedwetting.
Experiencing changes in appetite.
Regularly complaining of stomach ache or nausea.
Feeling faint, trembling or experiencing wobbly legs.
Feeling hot or sweating more than usual.

Anxiety can present a significant barrier to learning. If a person is in a constant state of emotional alert, they are going to find it difficult to engage with and benefit from the learning opportunities. 

Strategies and tips that can help...

Mindfulness 
Mindfulness works by focussing the mind on something concrete in the moment. For example, on your breathing. When you are concentrating on your breathing, your mind is distracted from your anxiety. The physical act of breathing deeply will also help to relax you. This might include breathing exercises, age-appropriate guided meditations, or time for mindfulness colouring.

Exercise
Exercise can help alleviate stress and release feel-good endorphins into the body.

Go Outside
The mental health charity, Mind, reports benefits of spending time outside in green spaces.

Express Yourself
Use a feelings board with areas for different emotions (happy, angry, worried, tired, sad, etc.). Your child then places a picture of themselves on whichever emotion they're feeling or encourage your child to express their worries creatively, eg., drawing, painting,  role-play using dolls/teddies, or even writing them down (eg. keeping a diary).


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