1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: It's the Happy Families podcast. It's the podcast for the. 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 2: Time poor parent who just wants answers. 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 3: Now, when children feel safe, when they feel that they 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 3: can trust their parents with their feelings, with their big emotions, 5 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 3: they're much less likely to experience those big emotions. 6 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 2: And now here's the stars of our show, my mum 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:23,440 Speaker 2: and Dad. 8 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 3: It's Mental Health Awareness Monthlos doctor Justin Colson Here, I'm 9 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 3: here with Kylie, my wife from Under our six Kids. 10 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: Today a conversation that I think. 11 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 3: Is a really important one, just because I get asked 12 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 3: to speak in so many schools, so many workplaces, so 13 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 3: many offices, classrooms, webinars, whatever, about anxiety. Anxiety is increasing 14 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 3: in prevalence. We're seeing it with younger and younger kids. 15 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 3: And Kylie today we're going to talk about five things 16 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 3: that we can do to help to manage and mitigate 17 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 3: anxiety effectively in our children and even in ourselves. 18 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: When you think about the experience, is that just here 19 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 2: in Australia we've experienced over the last couple of years 20 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: with floods and bushfires and COVID and COVID. 21 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 3: Not to mention the international situation. And then there's the 22 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 3: economics through how. 23 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 2: The economic stress that we're experiencing now, wonder families are 24 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 2: feeling so much pressure at the moment, and sometimes as parents, 25 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 2: we're not actually intentionally placing stress on our kids, but 26 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 2: our kids are watching the pressure that we're feeling and 27 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 2: as a result, feeling it for us, like almost in sympathy. 28 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 3: I think it's really important that we define what anxiety 29 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 3: is and have this conversation so that we can be 30 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 3: aware of how our behavior could be affecting our kids 31 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 3: and their experience of anxiety, how our anxieties could be 32 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 3: transferring from us to them, and a whole lot more. So, 33 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 3: let's start with the definition. The Australian Psychological Society I 34 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 3: hope that I get this right defines anxiety as the 35 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 3: experience of a stressful event that is short lived and 36 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 3: natural and healthy. And also that result it's in fear, 37 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 3: apprehension and worry about the future. Okay, so it's short lived, 38 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 3: it's natural, and it's in response to a stressful event 39 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 3: where we feel worried and nervous anticipating what's coming, feeling 40 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 3: like what's coming is going to be bad. 41 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:18,399 Speaker 2: So when kids experience anxiety in relation to going to school. 42 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 3: Yeah, they see school as stressful, and then they experience 43 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 3: a peak or a jump in worry, fear, and apprehension. 44 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 3: They think somebody's a daily event, right, that's it. Yeah, 45 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 3: So when we start to move from having an experience 46 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 3: of anxiety to having an anxiety disorder, what we're talking 47 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:39,639 Speaker 3: about is a chronic, pervasive, ongoing issue of anxiety where 48 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 3: not every day, but most days they're experiencing that worry 49 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 3: that something bad will happen. Now, that's different to saying 50 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 3: to what we would call a motion based school avoidance, 51 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 3: or what it was colloquially known as colloquially known as 52 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 3: school refusal. That's just saying I don't want to go 53 00:02:57,800 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 3: I don't want to be there. But if I don't 54 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 3: want to go there because bad things are going to happen, 55 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 3: I don't want to go there because I'm worried that 56 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 3: no one will talk to me, that I'm going to fail, 57 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 3: that it's going to be horrible because of this, this, 58 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 3: and this. Even if I can't say why I'm worried, 59 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 3: I just don't want to be there because I know 60 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 3: it's going to be bad. That's when we're starting to 61 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 3: move into the realms of anxiety. So there's a distinction. 62 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 3: It's an important distinction. Emotion based school avoidance just means 63 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 3: I'm having a silk because I don't want to be 64 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 3: at school, whereas I don't want to go because it's 65 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 3: going to be bad and I'm nervous, worried, anxious, apprehensive, fearful. 66 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 3: That's when we're stepping into the anxiety realms, and anxiety 67 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 3: is on the rise with our kids. The best started 68 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 3: that I can find with the Australian is Chitte of 69 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 3: Health and Welfare, which is the government agency that collects 70 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 3: all of this stuff, shows that anxiety disorders were the 71 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 3: second most common disorders among all children aged four to eleven. 72 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 3: So we're not talking about teenagers here. The numbers go 73 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 3: up during adolescence, but we're talking about primary school kids 74 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 3: four to eleven, second most common disorder six point nine percent, 75 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 3: seven percent of all kids are showing up with anxiety, 76 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 3: most common among girls. 77 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 2: That is distressing, yeah, really distressing to think that our 78 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 2: four year olds, five year old, six year olds are 79 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 2: experiencing anxiety to the point that we have a diagnosis. 80 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: It really is so. 81 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 3: With all children age four to eleven with a mental 82 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 3: disordered children with a major depressive disorder on average, miss 83 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,559 Speaker 3: the most days of school with their symptoms, usually about 84 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 3: two weeks in the last twelve months, more than twice 85 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 3: as high as for kids with anxiety disorders. We're looking 86 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 3: at six days in the last twelve months on average, 87 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 3: and more than three times as high as for kids 88 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 3: with ADHD four days. So anxiety is definitely having an 89 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 3: impact on the experience that kids have. I think, I mean, 90 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 3: there's so many things we could talk about here, but 91 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 3: why don't we just focus on solutions because it is 92 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:51,280 Speaker 3: Mental Health Awareness Month and we just want to give 93 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 3: parents some solutions to help with the challenges that they're having. 94 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 2: Well, I'm curious what might be the first one. 95 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 3: The first one has to be the quality of the 96 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 3: attachment relationship between parents and children. When children feel safe, 97 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 3: when they feel that they can trust their parents with 98 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 3: their feelings, with their big emotions, they're much less likely 99 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,479 Speaker 3: to experience those big emotions, and when they do, they're 100 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 3: much more likely to either regulate them themselves or get 101 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 3: the help they need from a parent who is caring 102 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 3: and trust worthy. Kind of goes back to that really 103 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 3: important discussion you and I had on Friday, in our 104 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 3: world do better Tomorrow episode. Being able to trust your 105 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 3: parents with your emotions helps you to regulate them better, 106 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 3: and it helps you to function better, which means that 107 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 3: you can learn better, you can socialize better, you can 108 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 3: get outside and engage in physical activity better. You can 109 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 3: kind of do everything better if that secure attachment is there, 110 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:48,119 Speaker 3: which means parents have to be soft, warm, nurturing, involved 111 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 3: and compassionate. 112 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 2: In some ways, they almost have to leave their big 113 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 2: emotions as an adult at the door. Because often the 114 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 2: things that our children will share with us will I 115 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 2: don't want to use the word trigger, but they'll evoke 116 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 2: emotion in us. But if our children feel like in 117 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 2: the sharing that it actually is hurting us or creating 118 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 2: anger in us, they'll be less inclined to want to share. 119 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:15,239 Speaker 1: You're exactly right. 120 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 3: I wrote about this in my new book, and I'd 121 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 3: love to share something that I wrote about in here. 122 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 3: I was actually I had to chat a couple of 123 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 3: weeks ago on the podcast with a lady called Anna 124 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 3: Spargo Ryan. 125 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: She's an author. 126 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 3: She's a mum who suffered with depression, anxiety, and major 127 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 3: psychopathy during her life, and she lamented in the podcast 128 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 3: and also in her book that I read A Kind 129 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 3: of Magic. She said, how could I call myself a 130 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 3: mother if I couldn't take my kids to a nearby 131 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 3: play center without having a panic attack in the car park. 132 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 3: So I'm raising this because as much as I'm highlighting 133 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 3: the importance of having that secure attachment and saying we 134 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,119 Speaker 3: need to be compassionate and trustworthy and present for our kids, 135 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:57,119 Speaker 3: quite a lot of parents are dealing with their own stuff. 136 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 3: They're dealing with their own anxieties, they're dealing with their 137 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 3: own mental health challenges. And she's just sort of saying, 138 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 3: I don't know, I don't know how I'm supposed to 139 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 3: do this. In her memoir A Kind of Magic, she 140 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 3: described the way that her anxiety affected her to the 141 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 3: extent that she would try to take her children somewhere, 142 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 3: but she was so overwhelmed by the psychological cost of 143 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 3: her anxiety that she would literally sit on the side 144 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 3: of the road in the car waiting for the adrenaline 145 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 3: to wear off. 146 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: And then I've got this quote here. 147 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 3: She said, all the times every part of me was 148 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 3: shouting yes, I want to do these things with you, 149 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 3: and I still said no. And then she just writes 150 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 3: about the pain of letting her kids down because her 151 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 3: own anxieties. But then those anxieties so easily transfer to kids, 152 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 3: And so we've got to be that safe place, that 153 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 3: secure place for our kids. 154 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: And that means we've. 155 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 3: Got to somehow pull it together even when we don't 156 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,679 Speaker 3: feel like we can. It's an enormous challenge, it's so hard, 157 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 3: but the research tells us really clearly that that's got 158 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 3: to be the number one protective factor. 159 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 2: What's the number two? 160 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: I'm going to suggest. 161 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 3: Other connections, other relationships. So when children have friends at school, 162 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 3: friends at their extracurricular activities, at their church, or other 163 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 3: religious or ethnic activities that they participate in, whatever it 164 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 3: might be, having friends, having connections, having social relationships gives 165 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 3: you something to look forward to. So even if you're 166 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 3: nervous about X, Y and Z, at least you know 167 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 3: you're going to be there with a friend, or at 168 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 3: least you know you're going to be there with a 169 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 3: parent who cares. The quality of relationships is critically important 170 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 3: if we want to help kids to move through their 171 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 3: anxious moments. 172 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: I think having grown up with a parent who struggled 173 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 2: with a lot of emotional challenges herself, The one thing 174 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 2: my mum did that has blessed my life time and 175 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 2: time again was surrounded me with good people. And it 176 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 2: wasn't actually my peer group that were the biggest blessing. 177 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 2: It was the other adults in my life, the other 178 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 2: adults who were able to keep their emotions in check 179 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 2: because they actually weren't as emotionally. 180 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: Attached psychological distance. Yeah, and so. 181 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 2: They were able to listen to my heart without being 182 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 2: caught up in the emotion of it and allowed me 183 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 2: to process through them when my mum wasn't able to. 184 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 3: It's a really valuable addition to the conversation. I'm thinking 185 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 3: about same age peers. But you've highlighted the importance of 186 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 3: having that I guess for one of a cliche sort 187 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,319 Speaker 3: of word, having that village around the child. 188 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: Trusted adults. 189 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,719 Speaker 3: And it's harder and harder to find that, but when 190 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 3: you can grab it, hang onto it, use it as 191 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:27,679 Speaker 3: so so important. 192 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 2: What's number three? 193 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 3: So the third thing that we can do if our 194 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 3: children are experiencing anxiety is help them to experience I guess, 195 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 3: to lean in, to have hope, to find a way 196 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 3: to push through it. That there are some times where 197 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 3: we don't want to discount, disregard, or otherwise shove off anxiety. 198 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 3: Anxiety sends really important signals, and we should never try 199 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 3: to eliminate anxiety from our lives. Anxiety helps us to 200 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 3: be safe. What we're dealing with when we're talking about 201 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 3: the mental illness issues surrounding anxiety, is when we have 202 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 3: an over active anxiety system, essentially where it's it's like 203 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 3: this alarm going off all the time. Most of those 204 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 3: things are false alarms. So helping kids to distinguish between 205 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 3: the false alarm and the real thing is really important, 206 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 3: and one of the best ways we can do that 207 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 3: is to remember that avoidance reinforces anxiety. So when our 208 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 3: child says I don't want to because I'm fearful, afraid, apprehensive, 209 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 3: whatever it could be, our job then is to gently 210 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 3: work with them to find ways that we can move 211 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 3: them towards it. Whether they can become curious about it. 212 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 3: Todd Kashton, who's been on the podcast a couple of times, 213 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 3: has talked about the importance of curiosity in terms of 214 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 3: well being and moving through anxiety. Whether they can become 215 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 3: hopeful because they believe something good will happen, if they 216 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 3: can push through it. But having the power to push through, 217 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 3: having the power to be hopeful or curious or optimistic 218 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 3: and work through that anxiety is often really really valuable. 219 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 3: Of course, if there's a screaming, barking dog on the 220 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,319 Speaker 3: other side of the fence, you don't want to push 221 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 3: through that. There's a good reason for that anxiety, and 222 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 3: so we've got to be able to be discerning. 223 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 2: I really appreciated the interview you had with Anna Spargo 224 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 2: Ryan recently because she talked about that. She talked about 225 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 2: being able to actually label it with her kids when 226 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 2: she was having an anxiety attack in the moment and 227 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 2: just explained to them that right now, my brain's sending 228 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 2: me messages that I'm not safe, But she said, I 229 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 2: know that I am, and so I just need a 230 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 2: minute to just take some deep breaths and get back 231 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 2: on track, because we're going to have a great time. 232 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:33,199 Speaker 2: And that acknowledgment is so powerful. It helps our kids 233 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,559 Speaker 2: to recognize that even though this is what I'm experienced 234 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 2: right now, I actually can discern between fact and fiction. 235 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: For those who are interested. 236 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 3: That was episode six hundred and nine of the Happy 237 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 3: Families podcast back on the fifth of October for Mental 238 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 3: Health Awareness Month. Number four being outside, being outside and 239 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,839 Speaker 3: particularly being active and outside. There's something remarkable about being 240 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 3: in nature. I say it all the time. Nature is 241 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 3: fueled for the soul. Being outside in nature powerful powerful, 242 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 3: especially moving your body, exercising, getting lost in the moment, 243 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 3: getting caught up in flow. It's a really powerful antidote 244 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 3: for anxiety. 245 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 2: And number five, so number. 246 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:17,199 Speaker 3: Five is actually kind of a provocative one, but helping 247 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 3: kids to forget all about themselves by thinking about other people. 248 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 3: So service volunteering, are going out of the way to 249 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 3: make a difference in someone else's life. It's amazing what 250 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:28,079 Speaker 3: happens to all of your stuff when you forget that 251 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 3: you've got it because you're so busy helping other people 252 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 3: and specifically helping them to work through really hard things 253 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,959 Speaker 3: that they're already dealing with. 254 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 2: One of our children recently has been going through a 255 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 2: little bit of a hard time. She's been really struggling 256 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 2: with you, finding a friend group and just you know, 257 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 2: typical teenage challenges. But the other day she just had 258 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 2: this feeling to reach out to a friend and just 259 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 2: check in, and so she just sent a text. So 260 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 2: it was hey, Naomi, just checking in. I just wanted 261 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 2: to make sure you do it okay. And she got 262 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 2: a message back that just was so beautiful. And this 263 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 2: friend actually came and talked to me and she said, 264 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 2: I don't know how your daughter knew. She said, but 265 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 2: we had only just about an hour before received news 266 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 2: that we'd lost a really close friend of ours to cancer. 267 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 2: And she was just blown away that this little kid, 268 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 2: because this is an adult, this little kid, for all 269 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 2: intents and purposes, teenage kid, had reached out to her 270 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,319 Speaker 2: and she actually did it because she was feeling low herself, 271 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 2: and it just elevated her. And the rest of the 272 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 2: day she had a spring and a step and just 273 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 2: felt so good that, in spite of her challenge, that 274 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 2: she was able to make a difference in someone else's life. 275 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 3: So there are five ideas they will make a difference 276 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:46,079 Speaker 3: for anxiety. Will they get rid of it, No, but 277 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 3: we don't want to get rid of it. Will they 278 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 3: help you to manage it better? One hundred percent, Yes, 279 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 3: whether it's. 280 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,079 Speaker 1: You or your kids. There are so many more ideas 281 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: that are out there. 282 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 3: I wish we could talk about them all, but the 283 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 3: podcast just can't go for the next three weeks. So 284 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,680 Speaker 3: we hope that if you're dealing with any anxiety issues 285 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 3: at home, that you can be calm and peaceful and 286 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 3: work on that relationship with your kids yourself, but also 287 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 3: that these ideas are helpful for you and for them. 288 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 3: The Happy Famili's podcast is produced by Justin Ruland from 289 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 3: Bridge Media. 290 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: Craig Bruce is 291 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 3: Our executive producer, and if you'd like more info about 292 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 3: the things we've talked about today, please check out Happy 293 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 3: families dot com dot au.