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why all the worry?
Experts say kids worry more
these days than in the past.
It’s not hard to see why.
Life is packed.
School, piano lessons, soccer
matches, clubs, mathalons,
performances, family events.
You’re forever rushing off to
do the next thing. Chances
are, even if you’re alone in
your room, things are hopping.
Phones ring. Texts ping in.
Nothing ever settles down.
It’s hard to relax.
The pressure’s on.
School is more demanding.
There’s more homework, more
classes, more teachers—and
more pressure to do well. And
that’s not to mention the
pressure to do well in sports
and other areas of life. Argh!
Life is changing.
Friendships can be complicated. There’s more drama, more gossip,
more tension in the lunchroom. At the same time, your body is
changing. The “you” you are today may not feel at all like the one
you were last year. Lots of girls worry about what comes next.
Will my breasts start growing soon? What if my period starts
in the middle of dance class? Your body will do exactly what it’s
supposed to, but it will have its own unpredictable timetable.
Your world is getting bigger.
You are building your independence. More and more, you’re
venturing out of the cozy cocoon your parents watched over
when you were little. You’re deciding more things for yourself.
It’s exciting, but a bit scary. You’re not always certain what to do.
Things feel less safe.
Weather disasters, wars in distant countries, unsafe schools.
Bad news can be worrisome even for adults. For kids who
are just beginning to pay attention, it may be plain scary.
What kind of world are you stepping into anyway?
There are always problems.
Of course, there are plenty of things closer to home that a
girl might have good reason to worry about, too. One girl may
have a loved one who’s sick. Another may be anxious about
arguments in the family. Money problems. Marriage problems.
It’s a lucky girl who doesn’t have at least some family concerns
on her list. And as if that weren’t enough . . .
Worry can be contagious.
If adults or others around her tend to worry about things,
a girl can pick up the worry habit. A girl whose aunt shrinks
from meeting new people, or whose dad is too frightened to
fly on airplanes, might learn to be anxious—not only about
those specific things but about other things, too.
Add it up.
A day has only 24 hours, but for a lot of
girls that means a bajillion opportunities
to worry about something.
when you worry
Anxiety is normal. It’s your brain and body’s built-in alarm system,
and it has only one job: to protect you. Back when humans wore
animal hides and lived in caves, this alarm system helped your
ancestors escape from hungry animals.
When something sets off the alarm, anxiety gets you ready to . . .
fight
back
or
freeze so
you won’t
be noticed
or
run
away.
To do this, anxiety affects you in three ways: your thoughts, your
feelings, and your actions.
1. Anxiety focuses
your thoughts on
the danger. I’ve got to get
away! Suddenly, you can’t
think of anything else. Not.
One. Single. Other. Thing.
2.
