​Helping your kids with difficult feelings

To help kids manage difficult feelings, try an exercise called "Opposite Action."
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Help your kid to make a list of actions that produce the opposite of the difficult feelings. For example, if they are feeling low-energy because of depression, list activities that could increase their energy. This could be star jumps, hiking, or even trying intensely flavored foods (lemons, for example).

Making a list will help them to gain a sense of ownership over the exercise, and it will also give them a sense of control or certainty.
 
Chris Warren-Dickins
Psychotherapist in Ridgewood, New Jersey

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