Is this overlooked skill fuelling your anxiety?

Happy New Year! 🎉

This week, we were struck by this BBC Article discussing the growing mental health challenges among young people. It reports that one in five children and young adults are struggling—a statistic that feels overwhelming. But it also raises an important question: What is emotional resilience, and how can we help children develop it?

Emotional resilience is the ability to cope with difficult feelings, recover from setbacks, and move forward stronger. It’s not about avoiding challenges but learning how to sit with uncomfortable emotions and understand what to do next. It is a life skill, one that helps children navigate the highs and lows of life with confidence and adaptability.

Resilience isn’t something we’re born with; it’s something we learn. The article highlights the importance of supporting young people, but are we equipping them with the tools they need to manage everyday stresses before they escalate?

In schools, we’ve seen simple tools make a world of difference. Techniques like EFT (tapping), breathwork, and movement help children to regulate their emotions and calm their nervous systems. These practices help kids recognise what they’re feeling and how to process these feelings and not to be frightened or run from difficult emotions.

Equally vital is the role of connection and co-regulation in building resilience. Children thrive in environments where they feel seen, supported, and safe to explore their emotions without judgment. However, a significant barrier to this is that many of us as adults have never fully explored or understood our own emotions. Often, we were raised without learning the tools of emotional resilience ourselves, which can make it challenging to guide the younger generation in developing these essential skills.

The Emotions Lab