Anxiety and anxious feelings in children and teenagers

It’s natural for children and teenagers to feel worried or anxious sometimes. There can be many reasons for these feelings.

You can help by letting your child know it’s OK to talk about their mental health and giving them techniques to cope.

If someone feels anxious most of the time, and the feelings are strong and hard to control, they might have an anxiety disorder. It can affect eating, sleeping and their ability to go to school. If anxiety is affecting your child’s everyday life, contact your GP.

Autistic children may find it harder to cope with feelings of anxiety. There are also specific things you can do to support an autistic child with anxiety.

If your child is anxious, they might:

• be more restless or irritable than usual
• want to avoid certain places, people or events
• seem tense or have trouble sleeping
• appear very tired
• struggle to concentrate
• withdraw from company
• lose interest in food or things they usually enjoy
• push boundaries or behave in a way you find challenging

They might also have physical symptoms, such as:

• tummy ache
• feeling sick
• feeling dizzy
• sweating
• breathing differently
• feeling restless and unable to sit still

If you child’s behaviour has changed it may seem like they are trying to get attention. This might be their way of telling you they need help or reassurance.

There is no single cause of anxiety. Every child is different, and anxiety will look different in everyone.

Things that make your child feel anxious will change as they grow. A toddler might have a fear of the dark or monsters, while an older child or teenager might worry about social media.

Anxiety can often be linked to specific events or situations. But changes in the body may also cause anxiety and anxious feelings. Hormones are an example of this.

Sometimes your child might feel anxious but be unsure about the reason.

You might want to suggest some activities to help your child manage anxious feelings. Make sure you introduce these when they are feeling calm, rather than when their anxiety is high.

It can help to:

• suggest they name 3 things they can touch, see and smell to help them feel grounded and present in the moment away from anxious thoughts
• suggest they picture a safe person or happy place, focusing on details like colours, sounds, smells and textures
• try other activities to soothe anxious feelings

It might help your child if you stay with them and offer calm support when they feel anxious. Others might need space to calm down on their own, knowing that you are nearby and available if they need you.

Sometimes your child might feel anxious even after trying different strategies. Reassure your child that everybody experiences anxious feelings. Let them know that it’s sometimes enough to recognise feelings and understand that they will pass.

This activity makes it easier to review and release anxious feelings. The aim of the activity is to look at negative thoughts more objectively. It’s a good activity for teenagers to try alone, or you can do it together.

Either way, it’s useful to learn about the link between thoughts and feelings first if you can.

Whenever your child feels anxious, get them to ask themselves:

• how do I know whether the thoughts I’m having are true or not?
• when have I felt this way before and what was the outcome?
• what’s the worst that could happen this time – how would I handle it and would I be OK?
• how much of my judgement is based on facts, and how much on feelings?

Encourage your child to take a step back from their own thoughts and try to answer the questions from an ‘outside’ perspective. It can help to write out the answers to these questions.

Get into the habit of chatting to your child every day about how things are going. This can help your child understand emotions and feel more comfortable sharing.

It can help to:

• ask your child how they’re feeling and let them share whatever they want
• try to bring emotions into everyday situations, for example talk about what TV characters might be feeling
• talk about our own worries in a way that’s appropriate for your child’s age and share ways you manage those feelings

If your child doesn’t want to talk, respect their space. Let them know you’re there if they need you.

You can also ask if another method would work. They might be happy to check in by text or WhatsApp and you could all agree to do this as a family. Your child may also want to confide in their peers or another trusted adult, rather than you. That’s often the case as children grow.

We also have advice on:

• building emotional literacy (for younger children)
• helping your child share their worries
• what to do if your child is anxious about changes at school

You can get extra support for you and your child. Try speaking to your child’s school or your GP as a first step. Your GP might refer to you to support services such as CAMHS.

If you’re worried that anxiety may mean your child is at risk of harming themselves, we have advice on:

• self-harm
• eating disorders
• suicidal thoughts

The NHS has advice on accessing mental health services.

There are also organisations that your child can contact if they want to get help directly.

Sidekick

Confidential helpline for young people in the UK, run by Action for Children.

Text 07888 868 059 Monday to Friday.

Email help@sidekick.actionforchildren.org.uk

Sidekick website.

Childline

Confidential support for anyone under 19.

Phone 0800 1111 or message a counsellor online any time.

Childline website.

The Mix

Support for young people aged 11 to 25 who are struggling with their mental health.

Text THEMIX to 85258 any time.

Young people can also apply to get 8 counselling sessions by telephone and webchat.

The Mix website.

Shout

24-hour messaging service for anyone who is struggling to cope.

Text Shout to 85258.

Shout website.

Page last reviewed: September 2025
Next review due: September 2028