WALKING ALONGSIDE YOUTH - AN ONLINE ANXIETY COURSE
Session 5 Summary
REDUCE
experiences that fuel anxiety
Reducing Experiences That Fuel Anxiety
Session 5 focused on reducing the experiences that lead to anxiety in youth—in particular, too much separation, too much peer attachment, too much social media, too much screen time, and not enough time with adults who honour who a youth is and take time to nourish the relationship.
All forms of separation are stressful for youth in care, including separation from family and community, and the psychological separation experienced if a youth perceives that a caregiver is consistently turning away from them and their needs.
The session provided examples of how to reduce stress, including:
- reducing peer interactions
- reducing screen time to maintain a youth’s appetite for relationships
- reducing experiences of separation that the youth cannot tolerate
- focusing on providing connection to help the youth hold on while they are apart
- creating family rituals and engaging in cultural rituals to give youth a sense of continuity in their relationships
The session highlighted the importance of replacing stress-inducing situations with fun, relational family rituals and ongoing connections with loved ones. The session concluded with Indigenous perspectives on how to take care of body, mind, and spirit.