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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : April 30, 2019 4:05 PM IST
Childhood habits of your little one can dictate how anxious she will be as she grows up to be an adult. ©Shutterstock
Anxiety has become a common phenomenon these days, especially with the amount of stress that is there nowadays. Most of us get confused between stress and anxiety as both these conditions have similar symptoms. However, there is a difference between the two. Anxiety is a condition that leads to fear or worried feelings, and stress, on the other hand, is your body s reaction to dangerous scenarios (could be real or imaginary). A new study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry suggested that exposure to alcohol in teenage can significantly increase your child's risk of developing anxiety in adulthood. This is because alcohol can disrupt epigenetic programming. Epigenetic programming is the chemical transformation in DNA, RNA or specific proteins linked to chromosomes which change the functionality of genes without varying the genes themselves. The lead author of the study elucidated that alcohol consumption early in life changes the brain and alters connectivity in amygdala, the brain part responsible for emotion regulation and anxiety. However, the mechanism of this entire process needs to be studied further. This particular research was performed on young rats.
While we wait for similar studies to be done on human models, it is important to understand that not only alcohol, there are a number of other early life habits that can dictate how anxious your little one will be as he grows up to be an adult. Here is the list for you. Watch out!
Well, let's admit it. We all do procrastinate on many occasions in our lives. But procrastination can be considered as a problem if it becomes our habit or pattern. Delays lead to stress and 11-th hour crises triggering anxiety as well. Procrastinating is a habit that your child may develop in the growing up years of his life which is likely to impact his mental health severely later on when he will need to deliver on time. Several studies have found the link between procrastination and anxiety. One such study published in the journal PLOS ONE revealed that procrastination regarding work was frequently linked to high levels of stress, excess depression, anxiety.
One easy way to spot the signs of procrastination in your kid could be observing how he deals with his school assignments. If you find him delaying those, you need to find out the reason behind it. It could be anything from lack of interest, difficulty in grasping to distraction and trouble in focussing, etc. Your little one's favourite activities--playing games on the mobile for example--could also be one of the reasons behind delay in assignments.
Set it right: Time management is a skill essential to all of us. Inculcate this life skill in her. Also, do not impose a routine or deadline on your child. Instead, sit with her and agree on a deadline or routine that she is comfortable with. This will give her a sense of onus. It is equally important to decide on a consequence in case the routine or deadline hasn't been followed and a reward on timely completion of a task. Make sure you stick to these decisions.
Lack of sleep is considered to be an adult problem. But it may stem for the early years also, given the lifestyle of modern-day kids. Academic pressure, cut throat competition, internet addiction, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy food habits--all these contribute to poor sleep quality in them. This, in turn, may lead to anxiety, says a study. In the research, participants who do not get proper sleep reported high levels of anxiety whereas those who got proper rest at night, showed significantly less level of anxiety.
Set it right: Make sure that you make your child follows a particular bedtime routine. This is important for maintaining a healthy sleep cycle. Also, it is important for her to stick to the same bed and wake-up time. Avoid rewarding him with caffeinated drinks, or high-sugar foods. Both may make it difficult for your kid to fall asleep.
If your little one gorges on sugary foods instead of green veggies, it is time to change this habit in order to reduce the risk of anxiety disorder in future. Kids love to indulge in candies, chocolates and cakes and it is important that you keep an eye on their portions and frequency. Also, sometimes your kid may skip meals due to an irregular sleeping pattern or he may simply not like a particular dish. All these eating habits may sum up to give him anxiety at a later stage of life. In a study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology, the researchers mentioned that irregular eating and consuming high-sugar foods can significantly up your risk of suffering from anxiety disorders.
Set it right: Inculcate healthy food habits in your child. Make sure that she has three meals a day and doesn't skip the breakfast for sure. It is the most important meal of the day. Find interesting ways to make her fall in love with fruits and vegetables. Taking your child with you for grocery shopping can be a great way of doing so. Involve her in the buying decisions and pick up the fruits and veggies of her choice. Also, healthy yet yummy snack options as rewards. For example, you replace an aerated drink with a strawberry shake.
Sedentary lifestyle comes with a plethora of health complications and anxiety is one among them. If your kid prefers sitting on the couch rather than going out to play, it can make him more susceptible to anxiety disorders during his adulthood. According to a study published in the journal BMC Public Health, sedentary behaviour can lead to increased risk of anxiety. The study authors elucidated that after analysing the link between sitting time and anxiety risk, there was enough evidence to suggest that long sedentary hours increase the chance of anxiety. Kids nowadays prefer to play on the tab or mobile phone rather than indulging in fun outdoor activities. Teenagers, on the other hand, are immersed in the virtual world of social media. A life without physical activities can be the culprit behind many issues apart from anxiety. So, as a parent, you need break this pattern if you haven't been able to prevent it altogether.
Set it right: Sit with your child and ask him about one physical activity he likes and then try to fit in that activity in his schedule, replacing his sedentary activity. Also, you need to set an example for your kids. If they see you active through the day, they are most likely to follow suit. In case of teenagers, the one good way of increasing their physical activity could be joining an activity with her. It could be anything from a swimming class to a salsa class. Both of you can be each other's motivators.
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