Get Healthy De Soto

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Heading Back to School

July 16, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

If you think that you are stressed about the return to school and what it might look like, be assured that your kids are feeling that anxiety too. This week, we’re looking at ways to help your children and grandchildren cope with rising levels of anxiety.

Some kids get it. They just do! My four year old is very laid back with most things. She doesn’t like loud noises, so there’s a bit of fear related to thunder, fireworks, sirens… Aside from noises though, she’s pretty much fearless and easy going. There’s not much that makes her anxious. Her older sister though must have inherited the worry gene from my grandmother. She doesn’t have fear of natural things like spiders, the dark, or anything like that. She worries though, and we’ve seen an increase in her worry that might be moving into the realm of anxiety. What’s the difference between them?

According to Dr. Nerissa Bauer, fear is your body’s response telling your brain that you must get out of a particular situation to stay safe. You might notice your heart racing, your muscles tensing, your breathing becoming shallow, and you may start to sweat.

Worry are the thoughts associated with a situation; particularly a future event or potential outcome that gets played out over and over again in your mind. With worry, your brain is so tuned in to these thoughts that it can be hard to manage.

Anxiety triggers both these: negative thoughts and the physical reactions. Usually, a child that becomes unable to act or function normally through their worry or fear is experiencing anxiety. When your child’s worry or fear starts to affect their ability to function at school or at home, it is time to consider speaking to your pediatrician about the situation.

There are things you can do to help your child process their emotions as well. It takes practice, and you need to do these exercises in advance of a meltdown or tantrum.

STEP ONE:

Label all emotions, positive and negative to give your child an emotional vocabulary. This can be done by using the graphic above. You can take turns reading an emotion and then showing what it might look like and describing it. (And yes, you should totally pick one that lets you act like a pirate, princess, or troll as appropriate for your child.) This exercise helps your child identify the emotion when they feel it, even if they can’t quite verbalize or give the emotion a name. That will come with practice and with you prompting the child with phrases like “you look mad”, “that is frustrating”, etc. You can also model this by explaining the emotions that you feel at times.

STEP TWO:

Teach your child how to breathe deeply. Again, do this in advance of a meltdown and use a tissue, handkerchief, or scarf. Take a deep breath, and then slowly release it while blowing on the tissue. The tissue should flutter and billow lightly as you evenly release your breath. You can make a game of it by tying the tissue to an action figure and making it their “cape”. Then, let your child try it. That way they learn to take those deep breaths that can help them release some tension and find their happy place.

STEP THREE:

Bring it all together. The next time your child is feeling a strong negative emotion, bring the skills above all together and say, “I see you’re getting frustrated. You remember what we practiced to help. Let’s take our deep breaths right now!”

Coach your child through the process. The breathing helps with the fear or physical reaction, and the recognition of their emotion helps them deal with the worry or negative thoughts. This gentle reminding and coaching will teach them the coping skills that they need during the midst of a pandemic and later in life too.

Filed Under: Get Healthy DeSoto Tagged With: anxiety, children, fear, pandemic, worry

Physical Activity & Depression

April 23, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

It has long been known that physical activity reduces anxiety and the incidence of depression. However, a study late last year found that physical activity can actually decrease the likelihood of being diagnosed or having further episodes of depression for those with higher genetic risk for the disease. That’s right. Individuals with a strong genetic predisposition toward depression were less likely to have episodes if they were engaged in regular physical activity.

During our time of social distancing and the stay-at-home order, depression and anxiety due to isolation are increased concerns. Physical activity can potentially keep you healthier and happier during this time. Here are some stay-at-home friendly options.

Iron Integrity 247, the gym that recently opened (and subsequently shut down due to COVID-19) on Highway 21 has a few videos on their Facebook page featuring Mary Harvey. (If you managed to make it to the DeSoto Farmers’ Market last season, you probably saw Mary teaching a quick Zumba at the Market! class.) You might give one of their videos a try.


The Y is offering some great videos that you might try. They have everything from yoga to kids’ activities. You can check out their YouTube channel here.


Fitness Now Studio in Festus also has some workout videos on their Facebook page that can get you moving. Most of the videos say in the description if equipment is needed.


And because humor is also great for your well-being, you might check out Red Green’s skit about turning your car into your very own person home gym. It’s good for nothing…but a chuckle that consumes about 4 minutes of your day.

Filed Under: Get Healthy DeSoto Tagged With: anxiety, depression, physical activity

Living with Anxiety

December 12, 2019 by Melissa Leave a Comment

This time of year can be difficult for everyone, even those who don’t suffer from diagnosed anxiety. Some quick ways of coping with anxiety are handy tools to have. Here are some tips:

  • breath. That’s right, take a deep breath and release it slowly. You can use the 4-7-8 method if that’s something you’re comfortable doing. If not, use visualization to go to your “happy place” while taking slow even breaths.
  • evaluate your negative thoughts. Are they real or grounded in reality? Just because your aunt said nasty things to your husband 15 years ago doesn’t mean she’ll do that this year. She’s medicated, right? All kidding aside, negative thoughts breed like rabbits, and if you can evaluate your fear or negative thought as being highly unlikely, you’ll be able to eliminate them growing beyond your control.
  • write things down. This means different things to different people. For me, it means making lists of things that I have to do and even creating a spreadsheet with recipe ingredients, quantities, and totals. That way I purchase enough flaked coconut, chocolate chips, pounds of butter, etc. That eliminates a lot of stress for me. I hate worrying about having enough of all the supplies I need. That sort of writing absolutely does nothing for my sister. She needs to write anything that isn’t related to her anxiety; usually short stories or poems. They divert her attention for the 15 minutes she needs to get back on track.
  • be active. Physical activity is important, and can’t be stressed enough. You don’t have to go visit your rowing machine or assault bike for 20 minutes. Fifteen minutes of stretching or walking outside might be enough.
  • try aromatherapy. It doesn’t have to be fancy and doesn’t require any expensive diffusers or oils. Try lighting a candle with a scent you find pleasant. Lavender and chamomile can be soothing, and if you dried some from the herb garden, now might be the time to pull some out of the freezer or pantry. Scents are often tied to memories, and if you have one that you know to be positive, use that too. Smelling sheets that have hung on the line to dry reminds me of summers spent with my grandparents. Even during the winter, I try to hang out sheets because I find the smell (and crispness, I won’t lie) comforting.

Anxiety can lead to very real physical maladies, so minimizing the effects is important. However, if you have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), quick fixes should only be a part of your treatment plan. You can find more information on long-term strategies for dealing with anxiety here.

Filed Under: Get Healthy DeSoto Tagged With: anxiety, holidays, stress

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