Anxiety — When Worry Gets Too Loud

Ever get a stomachache right before a big test, even when you know you are not sick? Or feel your heart beating super fast when you have to talk in front of the class? That is not just you. It is your brain’s built-in alarm system, and sometimes it gets a little too loud.

Everyone has a worry alarm in their brain. Its job is to keep you safe. It is the feeling that tells you to look both ways before crossing the street. That is a helpful alarm.But sometimes, the alarm gets too sensitive. It is like a fire alarm that goes off just because someone is making toast. There is no real fire, but the alarm is loud anyway. This is what anxiety feels like. It is your brain’s alarm going off when there is no real danger.When this happens, you might feel it in your body:A fast-beating heartA shaky or tight feeling in your chestA stomachache or feeling sickSweaty handsIf you feel this way, you are not alone. Researchers say that for every three kids your age, at least one of them deals with big worries too. It is not a weakness. It just means your worry alarm needs a li...

Rohan, who is 9, started getting a bad stomachache every morning before school. He felt shaky and thought he was getting sick. His mom took him to the doctor, who checked him out and said his body was perfectly healthy. The doctor explained that Rohan’s “worry alarm” was probably going off too often, making his tummy hurt. The doctor taught Rohan a slow breathing trick. Rohan also started a “worry jar.” Each morning, he would write down his worry on a small piece of paper and put it in the jar to talk about later. After a few weeks, Rohan noticed his stomachaches were happening less. One day, he looked at the old worries in his jar and realized most of them never even happened.