Since the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, kids’ mental stress has gone through the roof. Their physical stress was heightened because they were no longer getting out of the house and doing the things that help kids clear stress, such as exercising in the fresh air. Not only were they not getting outside much, but they were also isolated from other kids, which can dramatically affect mental and emotional health.
While stress was at an all-time high for many kids, the strategies to deal with stress didn’t improve. Parents never had to deal with their children having to cope with heavy mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, fear of being in social situations, and around other kids.
A Barrage of Bad News
If the fallout from COVID wasn’t bad enough, kids hear things, though they may not listen to the news. What they often hear is information about tragedies, such as the many school shootings around the country. The drills that schools are doing also heighten anxiety in kids.
The Pitfalls of Social Media
While social media is here to stay, it can negatively affect kids’ and teens’ mental health by limiting direct contact with peers and encouraging constant comparison online, which can lead to low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. It’s important that we put in our mind things that make us happy and bring us closer to things that we want, and not just consume all the negativity in the world.
How Stress Can Snowball
“To me, the essence of anxiety is a brain thinking about the future, with the inability to really decipher what sort of action we can take to change that future outcome,” said Dr. Joe.
Anxiety usually feeds itself when we get worked up, and then when another thing gets thrown on top, we have a full-blown panic attack, or then we shift into depression, because we think there’s nothing we can do about it.
Helping Kids Navigate Stress
At our practice, we don’t just adjust young patients and then send them on their way. Our doctors take the time to talk to kids and know what may bother them. Another reason our doctors love chiropractic is that they get to address some of these things that kids today are dealing with, such as scary events.
We can help kids navigate stress before they’re dealing with it. “There has to be a dramatic change in how we approach the kids’ mental health and how we help their physical health, because physical health and mental health are intimately connected and both need to be addressed,” said Dr. Joe.
The Role of Chiropractic Care
I’m excited, because I feel like this is a huge opportunity for chiropractic, and specifically for families in the community, to realize that there is something that we can do as a family that’s safe, easy, fun, and uplifting,”
Dr. Joe.
Chiropractic not only addresses our comfort but also our mental, physical, and emotional health, and how we adapt to all the challenges that confront those things. Chiropractic is uniquely positioned to help families, because it’s quick, affordable, and painless. Kids don’t have to have a shot or awful procedure. Plus, there are no side effects like ones associated with many medications.
If your child feels stressed, we are here to listen and help. Contact Clear Chiropractic today to book an appointment.