Jamie Kreiter Jamie Kreiter

Healthy Stress: A Guide to Understanding Children’s Stress Response

Everyone experiences stress. When children encounter stressors, their bodies activate the "fight, flight or freeze" response, triggering a cascade of physiological reactions, which prepares the body to confront or flee from the danger or shut down to protect itself. While this response is crucial for survival, prolonged activation of stress impacts children's physical health and cognitive development. In this blog, you will have a guide to understanding your child’s stress response and where and how stress responses develop.

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Anxiety, Change, Coping, Depression, Mental Health, Stress Jamie Kreiter Anxiety, Change, Coping, Depression, Mental Health, Stress Jamie Kreiter

Mindfulness

Mindfulness has shown a lot of promise in reducing stress and improving overall mood. Therapies that connect the mind and body allow an individual to be more cognizant of present experiences, such as bodily sensations, thoughts and feelings. The practice of mindfulness focuses on increasing a person’s awareness of the present moment in a manner that is free from judgment, self-evaluation and distraction. But how exactly does mindfulness work? How can someone use it inside and outside of therapy?

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Therapy, Coping, Stress Jamie Kreiter Therapy, Coping, Stress Jamie Kreiter

Incorporating Calm

When you are stressed, your body goes into what is called a “fight or flight” response to prepare to confront or avoid danger.  Even day-to-day events can provoke a stress response, and can cause health problems, suppressed immune system, anxiety and depression.  Yet not all stress is bad.  When appropriately invoked, stress can help you rise to many challenges.  There are a number of steps you can take to incorporate calm and live a less stressed lifestyle.  Research shows, for example, that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can help to decrease depression, reduce anxiety and improve overall mood. 

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