It’s one thing to drop your child off at school or daycare and see them wave goodbye. It’s another thing entirely when that goodbye comes with tears, clinging, and pleas not to leave.

Separation anxiety is a normal part of development, especially in young children. But when it starts to interfere with your child’s ability to feel safe or function independently, it can be distressing, for them and for you.

The good news? With patience, reassurance, and the right strategies, your child can learn to feel secure, even when you’re not right beside them.

What Is Separation Anxiety?

Separation anxiety refers to distress or fear when a child is separated from their primary caregiver. It often shows up around ages 6 months to 3 years, but can also appear in older children, especially during life changes such as starting school, moving house, or after a stressful event.

While some anxiety is developmentally appropriate, persistent or intense fear about being apart may indicate Separation Anxiety Disorder. This affects about 4–5% of children, according to the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, and may need further support.

Common Signs to Look For

• Crying, tantrums, or clinginess at drop-offs
• Physical complaints (e.g. tummy aches) when anticipating separation
• Fear that something bad will happen to a parent
• Trouble sleeping alone or in their own room
• Avoidance of school, daycare, or social events

What Causes It?

Separation anxiety can be triggered by:

• Developmental stages (especially toddlers and preschoolers)
• Big life changes (new school, new sibling, family stress)
• Parental anxiety – children are highly sensitive to their caregivers’ emotional states
• Attachment disruptions or past experiences of instability or loss

How to Support Your Child (Without Reinforcing the Fear)

1. Stay Calm, Confident and Consistent

Your child looks to you to gauge whether they’re safe. If your goodbye is full of guilt or hesitation, they may feel more unsure. Offer a short, warm goodbye and reassure them:

“I know you’re feeling worried, but I’ll be back after story time, just like always.” Consistency builds trust. As much as possible, keep routines predictable and transitions smooth.

2. Create a Goodbye Ritual

Rituals provide a sense of control and comfort. It might be a secret handshake, a special phrase, or a hug-kiss-wave combo. Familiar rituals create safety and signal that separation is manageable.

3. Don’t Sneak Away

While it might avoid a scene in the moment, disappearing without saying goodbye can increase anxiety over time. Your child may become hypervigilant, unsure of when you’ll leave next. Saying goodbye, clearly and lovingly, helps them build security.

4. Practise Small Separations

Start with short, low-stress separations, like playing in another room or staying with a trusted relative. Gradually build up their confidence. Praise their efforts gently:

“You played with Nana while I went to the shops, that was brave!” This technique, known as exposure and response prevention, is used in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help children face fears gradually.

5. Use Books and Stories

Storytelling helps kids make sense of big feelings. Books like “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst or “Owl Babies” by Martin Waddell normalise separation and reassure children that love remains even when you’re apart.

6. Check Your Own Anxiety

Sometimes, without realising, our own discomfort with separation can feed our child’s fear. Reflect gently:

• Do I feel guilty leaving them?
• Do I fear they can’t cope without me?
• Am I over-reassuring or hovering?

Children are incredibly perceptive. If you can hold steady emotionally, it helps them feel safe enough to let go.

When to Seek Extra Support

If separation anxiety is persistent, worsening, or starting to affect school attendance, sleep, or social life, it may be time to seek help.

Speak to:

• Your child’s teacher or early educator
• A child psychologist or counsellor
• Your GP or paediatrician

Supporting a child with separation anxiety can feel like walking a tightrope, balancing empathy with boundaries, comfort with courage. But the very fact that you’re asking how to help already makes a difference.

You don’t need to fix the fear overnight. You just need to be present, predictable, and patient. Every drop-off, every “I’ll see you soon,” every time you follow through with your return, it’s all building a foundation of trust your child will stand on for years to come.

Because learning to separate with confidence doesn’t mean loving less, it means feeling safe enough to explore the world, knowing love will always be there when they return.

Article supplied with thanks to Sabrina Peters.

About the Author: Sabrina is a pastor and a psychologist who is dedicated to helping people experience wholeness and growth. Passionate about building healthy families, she spends her days raising kids, supporting clients, and creating resources that inspire freedom and hope.

Feature image: Canva

It’s not just you. Anxiety is on the rise, with many people feeling increasingly overwhelmed and unsure about the future. And the reasons are all around us.

Turn on the news or scroll through your feed, and you’re met with scenes of war, natural disasters, and economic strain. Gaza. Ukraine. Iran. Climate extremes. Rising living costs. AI changing the job market. Even if you’re physically far from these events, they feel close because they’re everywhere in your phone, your conversations, and your thoughts.

We’re Wired for Survival, Not Constant Chaos

Our brains are designed to react to short-term threats, such as an approaching danger, a moment of conflict, a sudden crisis. But today, we’re exposed to a continuous stream of unpredictable stress: news alerts, economic instability, climate change, and global conflict. That kind of prolonged alertness wears down our nervous systems and leaves us in a near-constant state of tension. The traditional roadmap of study, work, buy a home, start a family feels increasingly out of reach, especially for younger generations trying to build a stable life in unstable times.

And this growing anxiety is revealing itself in everyday actions.

More people are preparing for the worst, driven by a collective sense of uncertainty. In Australia, panic‑buying during COVID was just the beginning. Interest in survival went deeper. Since the pandemic, enrolments in bushcraft and survival skills courses have surged, with leading instructors reporting hundreds of people on waitlists and off‑grid living festivals drawing more than 2,000 attendees this year. On top of that, sales of survival kits and emergency gear have skyrocketed globally, and with the worldwide market expected to almost double by 2033, stockpiling is no longer a fringe behaviour—it’s a practical response to increasing anxiety and instability.

What Can We Actually Do?

We might not be able to change what’s happening out there, but we can take steps to feel more grounded in our own lives. Here’s what helps:

1. Protect Your Peace

You don’t need to read every headline to stay informed. The news will always be there, but your peace of mind matters. Set some limits around how much time you spend on news and social media, especially if you notice it increasing your anxiety. If you catch yourself doomscrolling, take a break and do something grounding, step outside, make a warm drink, or talk to someone. Small shifts like this can help bring your focus back to the present.

2. Focus on What You Can Control

While we can’t solve global problems alone, we can care for our bodies and minds in small, meaningful ways. Prioritising rest, movement, and nourishment isn’t just about wellness, it’s about building emotional resilience. Get enough sleep to help your mind reset. Move your body regularly, even if it’s just a walk around the block. Eat food that fuels you, not just fills you. These simple habits are often overlooked, but they create the foundation for how we cope with stress and show up in our daily lives.

3. Make Life Feel Smaller (In a Good Way)

The world feels overwhelming when we stay zoomed out, constantly thinking about everything that’s wrong or uncertain. But when we zoom in, and focus on what’s right in front of us, we start to feel a little more grounded. Pay attention to your neighbourhood, your daily routines, and the people you interact with face-to-face. A warm drink in the morning. A shared laugh with a friend. Even simple acts of kindness, like helping out your community in small ways, can bring a sense of purpose and connection. These moments may seem small, but they create stability and comfort, especially when everything else feels out of your control.

4. Talk to Someone

Anxiety grows in isolation. When we’re left alone with our thoughts for too long, worries can start to spiral. That’s why connection matters. Make time to see someone face-to-face when you can, even if it’s just a quick chat over coffee or a walk with a friend. A real conversation, where you feel seen and heard, can be more grounding than a hundred texts or social media likes. Being around others reminds us that we’re not alone, and that support doesn’t always have to come in big, dramatic ways. Sometimes, it’s simply being together.

5. Rest Without Guilt

You don’t need to earn your rest. If you’re tired, it’s valid. Your body and mind are telling you something important. We live in a culture that often glorifies productivity and makes rest feel like a reward rather than a basic need. But the truth is, life is heavy enough without having to justify taking a break. Rest isn’t a sign of weakness or laziness. It’s how we heal, recharge, and show up fully when it matters. Giving yourself permission to pause is not only okay, it’s essential.

You’re Not Broken. The World Is Just Loud.

If you’re anxious, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. You’re reacting to a world that’s asking too much, too often. The goal isn’t to pretend everything’s fine, but to find ways to stay grounded and connected despite the chaos.

There are still moments of peace, humour, and kindness. Even in uncertain times, we can create small pockets of calm for ourselves and each other. And maybe that’s how we begin to feel okay again.

Article supplied with thanks to The Centre for Effective Living.

Feature image:  Canva

About the Author: Jennifer Chu is a psychologist who is passionate about therapy, experienced in a range of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, social adjustment issues, stress management, and cross-cultural issues and more.

In today’s world, anxiety has become a common issue that affects millions of people. 

This heightened state of worry and fear can interfere with daily life, making it essential to recognise and understand its signs and effective ways to manage it.

Anxiety is a natural reaction to stress, presenting as feelings of fear or apprehension about what’s to come. For some, it’s a fleeting sensation before a significant event, but for others, it can be a persistent concern that disrupts their everyday activities.

Anxiety disorders encompass various conditions, including generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. While occasional anxiety is normal, chronic anxiety requires attention and care.

Some of Sandy’s tips for managing anxiety include:

• Grounding Techniques: One effective way to curb anxiety is using grounding techniques, which help bring your focus back to the present moment. A popular method is the 5 to1 technique – start by naming five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This exercise engages your senses and redirects your thoughts from anxiety-inducing struggles.
• Mindfulness and Deep Breathing: Practicing mindfulness through meditation or deep breathing exercises can significantly reduce anxiety. Deep breathing helps slow down the heart rate and promotes relaxation. Try inhaling deeply for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, and exhaling for eight seconds. Repeating this simple activity can calm your mind and body.
• Physical Activity: Regular physical exercise is a powerful anxiety reducer. Activities like walking, running, or yoga release endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. Physical activity also helps in distracting the mind from anxious thoughts and improves overall well-being.
• Seek Professional Help: Consulting a mental health professional is crucial for those who find anxiety overwhelming. Therapists can offer cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and other treatments tailor-suited to individual needs. Medication might also be an option for some, prescribed by a healthcare provider.

Anxiety, while challenging, is manageable with the proper tools and support. Remember, you’re not alone in your journey, and with the right strategies, you can regain control over anxiety and lead a fulfilling life.

Article supplied with thanks to 96five.

Feature image: Canva

It feels like the year had only just begun, but here we are in July and I feel busier than ever.

Whenever I cross something off my list, my sense of accomplishment is brutally ripped away by the sudden appearance of two more things that need to be done.

Life feels like I fell through a layer of thin ice into the freezing lake below, and I can’t quite find where I fell in to put my head up to catch a breath. The more I try, the more lost I become.

Do you know what I’ve learnt from living like this so far this year? The tighter we grip, the less we hold.

The more I try to regain control over my life, the more the important things slip away from me. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Sleep. In fact, I write this article out of a place of overwhelm. The past few weeks have been a vicious cycle of me tightening my grip on everything around me, trying to keep it all from falling apart. All this has done has completely worn me out, reducing my capacity actually deal with my overwhelm. It wears out my husband, as I am completely wound up and not acting like myself. It shows up at work. For you, it might show up in your parenting. The more tightly we try to hold to the various, unpredictable elements of life, the more likely we are to cause more damage than what would have happened if we had taken a breath.

Mindset is Everything

However, another thought has occurred to me. My level of feeling out of control does not seem to correlate to how many elements of my life are actually going wrong. Whether it is feeling stressed out by university, a messy house, things breaking, relationship strain, or tasks at work, this feeling of overwhelm is relatively constant despite the huge variance in the actual importance of the things I just listed. Unfortunately, the common denominator of all of those things is me.

My mindset. My outlook. My attitude.

The way we look at our lives deeply affects the way we feel and act daily. Part of managing this is controlling our thought life (which is far easier said than done). The other part is being able to step away and understand how we personally need to rest in that moment. I’m not saying our circumstances are always good. Nor am I saying that stress is our fault. Certainly, life often is overwhelming. But the more we submit to that feeling of overwhelm, the more it controls us. The harder it is to break free. This is such a difficult concept to understand, and a balance needs to be achieved here. Our circumstances will affect us emotionally – that is a fact of being alive and being human. However, it is so important to let go and not let it completely take over.

Our mindset is the key to a peaceful life. It is the key to breaking the cycle of holding too tightly yet feeling like more and more things are slipping from our grasp.

Renew Your Mind

Do you need to renew your mindset? I have a few suggestions.

1. The first is to ensure you are resting. None of us can do anything helpful or productive from a place of exhaustion. Figure out where you feel depleted, and attend to that need.
2. The second is to find a trusted older person of faith who can guide and help you. We can be so blind to the way our emotions and thoughts are actually affecting ourselves and others around us. I have found the mentorship of an older, much wiser woman to be invaluable to me.
3. This is the most important thing you can do in any situation. Go to God. Read His Word. Reflect and rest in the below passage, where our good, perfect, and personal Saviour asks us to share our burdens with Him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus intimately knows how we feel. The Son of God, who once cried out to God for release from the overwhelm, stress, and sorrow piled upon Him, understands. He wants you to come to Him. Go to Him with confidence, and He will help you in your time of need.

Article supplied with thanks to Life FM in Adelaide.

Feature image: Photo by Austin Kehmeier on Unsplash

Parents of athletic kids know: supporting kids and teens’ emotional and psychological development can be challenging.

In a recent interview, sports psychologist Dr. Jay-Lee Nair chatted with adolescent psychologist Collett Smart , about parents strategies for dealing with performance anxiety and fostering a supportive environment for young athletes.

1. Offer non-verbal encouragement

Young athletes often grapple with overthinking their performance, and unfortunately, verbal communication from parents can contribute to their stress.

“What athletes really want from parents and coaches is what we call attentional silence or silent encouragement,” Dr. Nair said, and explained that gestures like nods and smiles are great examples of non-verbal support.

“It’s a gesture of support, encouragement and it’s completely non verbal,” she said.

Young athletes often look to their parents for reassurance, particularly during difficult or challenging moments. This means maintaining positive facial expressions are vital.

“Athletes can interpret [facial expressions] as ambiguous,” she said. “So, they often say, are they mad at me? I can’t tell – what are they thinking?”

2. Reinterpret mistakes

Avoiding mistakes is the main goal for most young athletes, leading to what Dr Nair calls “performance hesitance”. However, she explains, elite athletes distinguish themselves by their ability to recover from errors efficiently.

“What we perceive when we watch elite athletes is we perceive that there’s perfection… but they are still making mistakes.”

By reminding them of the value of mistakes, you’re empowering them to stretch themselves.

And the way we respond in the moment has a huge impact.

“The number one element would be [to have] good reactions to mistakes,” she said. “We need to help our young athletes develop [this skill] over and above everything else when it comes to competition in early days.”

3. Develop positive reactions to mistakes

In a similar way to above, working on the way athletes respond internally to mistakes is crucial.

Dr Nair encourages young athletes to visualise possible errors, and to plan constructive responses in advance.

“They visualize good reactions to it and moving on and refocusing on the next point,” she said.

By embracing mistakes as a natural and necessary part of development, performance anxiety is reduced, fostering resilience.

4. Create a positive environment

A positive environment is vital, particularly when it comes to helping teenage girls stay in sport.

According to Dr Nair, girls are particularly motivated by relationships within their teams and the community around them.

“As girls progress, they actually prioritize relationships… this is something that’s so important to them,” she said.

For parents, nurturing a positive environment that emphasises the team bond and mutual support rather than competitive pressure, can make a huge difference.

5. Be consistently positive

Using the “Good, Better, How” methodology in post-game conversations can help fortify a positive sporting culture. By focusing first on what they did well, you can then (very carefully) touch on areas for improvement – providing constructive feedback without being overwhelming.

“Let’s look at three things you did well today, one thing that you can improve and do better in your next match,” Dr Nair suggests.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature image: Photo by Fotos on Unsplash

About the Author: Joni Boyd is a writer, based in the Hawkesbury Region of NSW. She is passionate about the power of stories shared, to transform lives.

When we see a dog acting out, we often assume it’s being stubborn or naughty.

But Orlando Dos Santos, from Results Dog Training, says that’s the wrong mindset.

“Fear in dogs is a very, very real thing. All of us want to feel safe, dogs included.”

Before we can support our dogs, we need to shift our own perspective. If you assume your dog is misbehaving, you’ll treat it that way. But what if it’s scared instead?

The Link Between Fear, Anxiety, and Trauma

Fear is a response to a real or perceived threat. Anxiety is the anticipation of that fear. Left unchecked, it can lead to trauma: “A dog that once had a fearful experience might now expect to feel fear again,” said Orlando. “That’s anxiety.”

If your dog suddenly acts anxious around certain objects or situations, it may be reliving past fear. That’s why identifying the root cause is key.

Why Dog Behaviour Often Gets Worse During Adolescence

Dogs go through two major fear periods: one at around 8–11 weeks old, and one during adolescence – roughly 8 months to 3 years old.

“This adolescent phase is when things often fall apart,” Orlando says. “It’s just like teenagers. One part of the brain says, ‘I’m brave!’ The other part hasn’t finished developing.”

During this time, dogs may:

• Become fearful of new or familiar things
• Start barking or lunging unpredictably
• React with impulsive behaviour

“Around a third of dogs are rehomed by the age of three,” Orlando notes. “Mostly because of challenges in this adolescent stage.”

Are Dogs Misbehaving or Just Struggling?

“When we don’t understand what’s going on, we label dogs as stubborn,” says Orlando. “But the dog isn’t giving us a hard time, it’s having a hard time.”

Instead of punishing your dog, try understanding its behaviour. Often, the solution lies in giving the dog a different job or creating new routines.

“When the dog has predictability, it starts to settle. The human understands the dog. Everyone’s happier.”

Try Desensitization Instead

To help your dog overcome fear, Orlando recommends desensitization and counter-conditioning. For example, if your dog is afraid of the vacuum cleaner, break it down and gradually introduce it to the dog a bit at a time. The vacuum cleaner has three elements:

• Visual: what it looks like
• Movement: how it moves
• Sound: the noise it makes

Here’s the process:

1. Start with just the vacuum in the room (turned off).
2. Give your dog treats while it sees the vacuum from a distance.
3. Remove the vacuum, and stop the treats.
4. Repeat, slowly bringing the vacuum closer over time.
5. Eventually, add movement and sound, one step at a time.

“You’re creating new associations,” Orlando explains. “Vacuum equals food, which equals good things.”

Watch for Your Dog’s Threshold

A dog might get very still or show the whites of its eyes, a behaviour called ‘whale eye’. That’s a sign the dog is nearing its comfort limit.

“Always respect the threshold. Go slower if needed,” said Orlando. “The goal is trust, not tolerance.”

Bringing Peace Into the Home

For Orlando, it all comes down to one mission: bringing peace into the home by understanding pet stress.

“Most of the dogs I work with are adolescents. Once we help the humans understand what’s going on, everything changes.”

If your dog is showing signs of fear or anxiety, remember, they’re not being difficult. They’re asking for your help.

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

Feature image: Photo by Michelle Tresemer on Unsplash