Stress and Children
I will be sharing with you the lecture of Dr. Nepthalie R. Ordonez, A Pediatric Pulmonologist and currently the President of the Philippine Academy of Pediatric Pulmonologists. The topic is on Stress and Children. He stated that “Stress is real, even in children.”.
Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Since they are still children, they have difficulty managing feelings, emotions and behaviors. And so this will have a profound effect on their health.
We, adults should be able to pick up recognizing signs of stress in young children. These are the following:
– changes in eating habits
– changes in sleeping habits
– restlessness, irritability, being clingy
– returning to behaviors they have outgrown
– difficulty focusing and concentrating
– avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past
– unexplained headaches
– body pain
– poor school performance
Dr. Ordonez made mention of the Brain Fog. What is this brain fog all about? This is a condition where there is lack of mental clarity, difficulty focusing and having poor concentration.
Yes, experts said that Covid may cause a “Covid Brain Fog”. Patients may have memory loss, trouble finding words, decreased attention span and can be easily overwhelmed even with simple tasks.
Stress could be toxic, tolerable and positive. These levels of stress have different causes and effects to one’s health.
A. Toxic stress is a strong, prolonged and a frequent adversity. This could be due to abuse, neglect, substance abuse and mental illness
B. Tolerable stress
– The body’s health system is alerted to a greater degree
– brain and organs will recover
– seen in accidents and death of a loved one
C. Positive stress
– normal and essential part of healthy development
– seen in attending games, taking exams, getting immunizations, meeting new people
So, not all forms of stress is bad. Positive stress is a normal part of learning and development. This is a safe level of stress which is manageable especially with a healthy and supportive home environment.
Experts recommended ways on how to manage stress on children. They call this Brain Breaks. These are planned learning activity shifts that mobilize different networks of the brain. These shifts allow those regions that are blocked by stress or high- intensity work to revitalize.
Dr Ordonez emphasized that brain breaks should take place before fatigue, boredom, distraction and inattention set in. As a general rule, brain breaks should be:
10 to 15 minutes for elementary school
20 to 30 minutes for middle school
3 to 5 minutes for high school students
Furthermore, Dr. Ordonez mentioned different coping skills for kids and these are:
– reading
– breathing exercises
– label the feeling of the child
– positive self-talk
– exercise
– play
– paint
Parents are encourage to do simple activities as a family to promote mental health like:- outdoor breaks and staying connected while being safe
– eating healthy foods
– enough rest and sleep
– doing deep breathing, mindfulness or meditation
Knowing all these, it is important for us responsible adults to help children thrive during this pandemic and beyond. It is salient to develop relationships, routines and resilience.