Lyons: Rather than global thinking, help kids break things down into smaller parts: beginning, middle, and end.

Lyons: You don't have to imagine dying in a plan crash; you'll do fine the first time! #Anxiety

Lyons: Kids need messages of hope. We want to foster the belief that change is possible rather than that they have a "disease" or that "mental illness" is who they are. #anxiety

Lyons: Connection, connection, connection. It is key. It always comes out on top.

Lyons: Delay giving kids smart phones. Focus on social skills.

Lyons: Teach kids to do "awkward empathy." You don't have to know exactly what to say; you can offer empathy as a connection.

Lyons: Watch for negative connection such as bragging about how little sleep they get, how many diagnoses they have.

Lyons: At the beginning of Covid, what kids said is "it's not so bad, because I'm .getting more sleep, I'm connecting with my family more, I'm posting to social media less."

Lyons: "The biggest gift you can give your kids is to experience joy in their presence."

Q: from audience: How do you address kid's existential worries? Lyons' answer: Go micro instead of macro.

Q: from audience: Are there gender differences in #anxiety? A: Statistically girls are more anxious than boys. Each shows anxiety differently though.

Lyons: If you have an anxious kid, you'll want to "front load," give the kid the info and plan ahead of time rather than in the moment.

Lyons: "The goal is to change the relationship to the worry when it shows up rather than to change the world so the worry goes away." #Anxiety

Lyons: If your main goal is to help your child avoid something, you are enabling the anxiety. Rather, help them develop the skill to tolerate the uncomfortable feeling.

Lyons: Kids are going to have big emotions. Validate them. Ask how you can help. Let them practice feeling big feelings. Avoid jumping in with your own distress and avoid jumping in to fix it. #anxiety

Lyons: It's hard to tolerate your kid's distress. But when we normalize it, they get through it!

Thank you for tuning in tonight and thank you to Lynn Lyons for sharing her expertise, wisdom, and humor with our community this evening.

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