Understanding the interplay of genetics and environment - and how the whole family can benefit from Sophrology.
It starts with something small. Maybe your child avoids sleepovers or gets nervous before school. You tell yourself it’s just a phase, until you see a little too much of yourself in their worries.
If you’re a parent living with anxiety, chances are you’ve wondered: Am I passing this on to my child? You’re not alone, and the answer isn’t simple.
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The genetic puzzle: Nature’s role in anxiety
Let’s start with the science. Studies have shown that anxiety disorders have a heritability rate of 30 to 67%. That means if a child has a first-degree relative (like a parent) with an anxiety disorder, they’re significantly more likely to experience anxiety themselves.
Anxiety, in this genetic context, isn’t about one “anxiety gene.” Instead, it’s the result of complex interactions among multiple genes involved in brain chemistry, stress response, and emotional regulation.
These inherited predispositions may make a child more sensitive to stressors, more likely to worry, or more prone to avoidance behaviours. But it’s important to remember, genetic loading is not the same as genetic certainty. Just like you can inherit your mum’s eyes but not her love of gardening, a genetic predisposition for anxiety doesn’t mean your child will develop it.
Genes are like seeds, and the environment acts as the soil. Whether those seeds take root and grow depends largely on the conditions in which they’re nurtured.
The environment we create: Nurture’s role
While genetics may open the door to anxiety, the environment we create at home often determines whether that door is walked through. Children observe and absorb our emotional responses constantly, from how we handle a missed train to how we speak about our own fears.
Anxious parents often strive to protect their children, but sometimes this protection becomes overprotection. For example, if a parent avoids driving in heavy traffic due to anxiety, their child may internalise that the world outside is inherently risky. Similarly, if parents react with heightened alarm to minor stressors, children may learn to see those situations as threats rather than challenges.
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A 2019 Psychology Today article outlines nine strategies that parents can adopt to break this cycle. These include:
– Validating your child’s emotions without reinforcing irrational fears
It’s important to let children know their feelings are real and acceptable. For example, saying “I can see you’re feeling scared right now, and that’s okay,” acknowledges their experience. But it’s equally important not to amplify their fears. Don’t say, “Yes, school is terrifying,” but rather, “It’s normal to feel nervous about school sometimes. Let’s think about what might help.”
– Modelling coping strategies, like deep breathing or pausing before reacting
Children learn far more from what we do than what we say. If they see you take a deep breath before responding to stress or calmly explain your emotions, they are more likely to internalise these techniques themselves. Demonstrating emotional regulation teaches them that difficult feelings can be handled with grace and self-awareness.
– Using exposure, not avoidance, to build bravery incrementally
It’s natural to want to remove anything that causes your child distress. But long-term, avoidance feeds fear. Gradually exposing children to their anxiety triggers in safe, supported steps helps them build confidence. For example, if they’re afraid of dogs, start by reading about dogs, then watching dogs from a distance, before slowly moving closer, always encouraging but never pushing.
What matters is not being anxiety-free, but showing your child that fear can be managed, that discomfort can be tolerated, and that courage is not the absence of fear, but action in its presence.
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"Sophrology helped me reconnect with my body, quiet my mind, and face life with more clarity"
Dominique’s story: Teenage anxiety
At just 15 years old, Dominique Antiglio, now the founder of BeSophro, admits she was crippled by anxiety. “I didn’t want to go to school. I felt constantly overwhelmed,” she recalls. Her thoughts raced, her sleep was disrupted, and her confidence eroded.
After trying various therapies, Dominique was introduced to Sophrology, a gentle but structured approach blending breathing, relaxation, gentle movement, and mental imagery. It was unlike anything she’d experienced before. For the first time, she wasn’t being told to “fix” herself, she was learning how to listen inward, to understand and work with her body’s signals.
“For me, Sophrology didn’t suppress the anxiety,” she says. “It helped me reconnect with my body, quiet my mind, and face life with more clarity.”
Dominique talks about her anxiety as a teenager, and how Sophrology helped her find her calm
Today, Dominique is a Sophrology expert and the founder of BeSophro, dedicated to helping others overcome stress, anxiety, and self-doubt through Sophrology. Her journey from overwhelmed teen to mental wellness advocate illustrates how the right support can be transformative.
What Is Sophrology?
Sophrology is a therapeutic method developed in the 1960s by neuropsychiatrist Alfonso Caycedo. It fuses Western techniques, like progressive muscle relaxation and cognitive therapy, with Eastern practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and gentle yoga.
What makes Sophrology unique is its holistic, body-mind approach. It works with the nervous system to shift individuals from a fight-or-flight state into rest-and-digest, supporting long-term emotional balance. Techniques include:
- Breathwork to regulate stress response.
- Visualisation to reframe negative thought patterns.
- Gentle movement to reconnect with the body.
- Concentration exercises to develop presence and mental clarity.
Crucially, Sophrology is not just for adults. It’s being introduced in schools across Europe as a resilience-building tool for children. It helps them improve focus, manage test anxiety, and handle peer pressure. For parents and children alike, it’s a proactive way to cultivate mental fitness.
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How Sophrology supports the whole family
When anxiety shows up in a family, everyone feels it. Tension at the dinner table, sleepless nights, or that undercurrent of worry that hums through the home. That’s why finding simple tools that each family member can use on their own terms can make such a big difference.
Sophrology is one of those tools. It’s not something that has to be practiced together or turned into a family routine (unless you want it to be). What’s beautiful about it is how flexible and personal it is. Adults can turn to breathwork to reset after a stressful workday, while children can quietly use a visualisation exercise before a test or during a wobbly moment at school.
These techniques don’t just stay in the app or the session, they come with you. They become tools you can reach for when your thoughts start to race, when your chest feels tight, or when you just need a pause. And over time, they become second nature, like muscle memory for your mental health.
Finding empowerment in prevention
Living with anxiety as a parent can feel like walking a tightrope, balancing your own emotional load while trying to shield your child. But the truth is: you’re not expected to be perfect. You’re only expected to be present.
By acknowledging your own struggles and seeking tools like Sophrology, you’re modelling resilience, not weakness. You’re showing your child that emotions are manageable, that support is available, and that we all have the power to shape our mental landscape.
Sophrology doesn’t erase hardship. It teaches us how to meet it with intention and calm. It builds an inner foundation so we can respond, not react, to the world around us.
Start with just a few minutes a day. Breathe. Visualise. Connect.
Explore the BeSophro app, with guided programmes designed to manage stress, ease anxiety, build confidence, and strengthen resilience. All for just £12.99/month – no contracts, just calm.
Your family’s emotional health is worth it. And so are you.
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Note: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional for medical concerns.