Do you feel anxious when your child or teen is anxious?  Can you feel your own anxiety rising as your child retells an anxious event from their day?  In all likelihood, the answer is yes.  This phenomenon is called second-hand anxiety.  Second-hand anxiety simply means feeling anxious because someone else is anxious.  This happens because our brains are equipped with mirror neurons.  These neurons’ purpose is to imitate other’s movements and feelings. They help us learn just by watching someone complete a task.  They also allow us to feel what other people are feeling.  Studies have shown that observing someone expressing anger increases cortisol in the blood by 26%.