The 1 Method I Use to Help My Kids Get Through Anxiety Attacks That Works Every Time

The only thing worse than going through an anxiety attack yourself is watching a loved one go through one, especially if that person is your child. An anxiety attack can be a terrifying experience, leaving the person feeling like they're not in control of their emotions and body. It can also affect them physically. They may sweat and shake, have difficulty breathing, have an increased heart rate, and feel nauseous and dizzy. So, when this is your child, what do yo do?

One way to help them get through an anxiety attack is to have them practice an antianxiety technique called grounding. It's given the term grounding because the strategy's goal is to bring the person back to reality by using their five senses and keep them grounded. For my own kids, I have them do what I call "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Blast Off." Over the years, this grounding technique has proven to be very successful. Although I do it with my kids, I often do it myself and it gets me through my own anxiety attacks, too. Here's how it works.

01
Find 5 Things You Can See
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Find 5 Things You Can See

The first step is to use your eyes to look for five things you can see. While counting, use your fingers to keep track of the five things you see.

02
Find 4 Things You Can Touch
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Find 4 Things You Can Touch

Next, find four things you can touch, and reach out and touch them. With your other hand, use your fingers to keep track of the four items you have found.

03
Find 3 Things You Can Hear
Unsplash | Loren Joseph

Find 3 Things You Can Hear

Next, close your eyes and use your ears to identify three things you can hear right now. Use your fingers to keep track of the three things you can hear.

04
Find 2 Things You Can Smell
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Find 2 Things You Can Smell

Then, still keeping your eyes closed, use your nose to identify two things you can smell right now. Use your fingers to keep track of the two things.

05
Find 1 Thing You Can Taste
Unsplash | Nagesh Badu

Find 1 Thing You Can Taste

Finally, identify one thing you can taste. If you aren't eating or drinking something, the one thing is usually going to be your saliva, which is fine. The goal here is to go through your five senses, and taste is the last one.

06
Blast Off
Pexels | Porapak Apichodilok

Blast Off

After you have gone through the previous five steps, your body and mind will be feeling more relaxed and calm. You're now ready to "blast off" your anxiety.