4 Ways to Ease Your Anxiety About Your Child Starting School
Your child has been with you for as long as you can remember. From the moment you found out you were expecting, you started forming that bond. When the baby was born, it only made that love and bond even stronger.
You were fortunate enough to be able to spend as much time with them as you could. You were able to witness firsthand all of their different milestones. They literally grew up right before your eyes.
But now they’re at the age where they need to start going to school. You’re thrilled that this is another milestone they’re about to reach, but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t anxious about it. You’ve spent most days with them since they were born, and now that time will be cut in half.
Here are four ways to ease your anxiety about your child starting school.
1. Practice Self-Care
As a parent, you constantly worry about your family and children’s needs. When did you last think about yourself and your wants and needs? It’s time you start putting yourself first again. You can’t take care of others unless you care for yourself first.
You need to make sure that you’re fueling your body properly and getting enough sleep, rest, and recovery for your body to function to the best of its ability. Not only is taking care of yourself good for your overall mental health and wellness, but it’s also good for your child. Self-care includes things like eating, drinking enough water, and getting enough sleep. Self-care can also mean taking time for yourself to watch a television show, read a book, go for a walk, or try out a new hobby. Find what works for you and get after it!
2. Implement Mindfulness Techniques
Try implementing mindfulness techniques into your day-to-day. Not only are they a great tool to use when you’re feeling anxious, they can also help you get ahead of your anxiety and prevent you from getting anxious in the first place. You can also do many things from the comfort of your own home. Try a few of the techniques out and see what works best for you:
- Body scan
- Deep breathing
- Go for a walk outside
- Meditation
- Write in a journal
- Yoga
3. Lean On Your Loved Ones
You’re there for all of your loved ones, and guess what? They are there for you, too. You just need to let them know what you need. You don’t expect them to have it together all the time, and they don’t think you should either. Don’t be so hard on yourself and let others in to help you. Plus, your loved ones may be able to relate to what you’re going through. There’s a good chance that if your loved ones have children, they felt the same way at some point or another. It can help you not feel so alone in your thoughts and feelings.
4. Seek Professional Support
Just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean you have to have all of the answers for everything going on in your or your child’s lives. It’s completely acceptable if you need to ask for help. Any type of change in your life can be a hard adjustment to make. You’re not alone if you’re feeling a little anxious about your child going to school. Working with a mental health professional can help you ease the anxiety you’re dealing with and get you back to living your life to the fullest. Reach out to us today!