Stress in Children and Yoga’s Effects

While many people consider stress to be something that only adults deal with, children can become stressed as well.  And just as in adults, stress can cause a myriad of uncomfortable symptoms for kids to have to deal with.  Here is a look at the causes of stress in kids, the symptoms, and how yoga can be an answer.

There are a variety of things that can cause kids stress, and many times parents may brush them off as no big deal.  If the parents are having problems and fighting a lot, this can cause stress for the kids.  They may blame themselves or start to worry if mom and dad or going to get a divorce.  A fight with a friend or sibling, particularly if they are normally close, can cause stress for kids.  School can be a big stressor, particularly if there is a big test or project coming up and the child feels pressure to succeed.  In teens, wondering if they are pretty enough, tall enough, thin enough, etc. can be a major cause of stress.  Not having enough privacy can be a cause for stress in some kids.  Changes in the family, such as the addition of a new baby or a parent remarrying, can cause stress for children while the struggle to get things sorted out.  Switching schools or going to classes where they feel picked on by a teacher can cause stress.  Even money can cause stress in children, particularly if they feel left out of a group because they cannot afford to buy the latest clothing, toy, or electronic gizmo.

The symptoms of stress in children can vary, and it may be hard to tell the difference between stress symptoms and the symptoms of an illness.  Parents should be on the lookout for changes in behavior, since that can be a warning sign of stress.  Irritability, excessive tiredness, changes in eating or bathroom habits, timidity or fearfulness, difficulty in accepting change, clinginess, and the use of words like sad and afraid can be a sign or stress in younger children.  For older children, these behaviors may change to attention seeking, mood changes, avoidance of activities, isolation, changes in the quality of schoolwork or refusing to go to school all together, insomnia, and complaints such as headache and stomachache.

When kids become stressed, their bodies go through a series of hormonal and biochemical changes.  Also known as the fight or flight response, basically their bodies are on high alert.  Heart rate goes up, breathing becomes shallow, muscles tense, and the digestive and immune systems get put on hold.  If under stress for extended periods of time, these responses can manifest themselves in the variety of symptoms mentioned above.

Yoga can help kids learn to relax and invoke the relaxation response, a state of deep rest.  This state helps your body relax and get back to its normal state.  As kids relax, their heart rates go down, breathing becomes deeper and slower, muscles relax, and their blood pressure returns to normal.  Yoga can also help with aches and pains, increasing energy, and boosting brain functions so that kids can get back to normal.