How Chronic Stress Affects Your Child, And What You Can Do About It

In our modern world, the causes and results of too much stress are well known, especially for adults. However, recent research has shown that chronic stress in children can have a serious and detrimental effect on their current and future health. If you think that your child is dealing with too much stress, we have some pointers you can focus on to help your children overcome this insidious affliction.

• The effects of stress on children

When children suffer from prolonged periods of stress (also called chronic stress), they can become susceptible to various emotional problems like anxiety and depression.

Unfortunately, the effects of too much stress don’t stop there either. In children, chronic stress causes their brains to struggle to learn and commit new information to memory.

This also means that chronic stress can have a negative feedback effect on your children, where they struggle to keep up with the requirements of their academic and social life because of the effects of stress.

• But don’t cancel out all stress

While it is certainly advisable to give your children a stable family life, and refrain from adding to their stress, it doesn’t mean that you should try to keep them away from all types of stress.

In fact, the act of learning is a type of mental stress that takes place in the brain, and other forms do help all of us stay motivated and pursue our life goals.

Added to this is the fact that no matter how much you shelter them, your children will experience stress at some time or another in their lives.This means that if you allowed them to experience acceptable levels of stress, they will learn how to cope with it, and be more balanced and determined adults as a result.

• There is effective help

Normal and acceptable stress aside, there is a great way you can help your children deal with excessive and chronic stress: exercise.

Exercise is a well-documented method of combatting stress, and in children, assists with the development of strong memory, as well as helping them become more resilient against the effects of stress.

The negative effects of stress on children’s cognitive functioning can also be reversed with professional help. If you feel your child needs this type of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us for more info.

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