Anxiety Workbook of self-help resources & Strategies



centercenterTamara OwensNHSAA??Updated April 2020Anxiety Workbook of self-help resources & Strategies8820090900Tamara OwensNHSAA??Updated April 2020Anxiety Workbook of self-help resources & StrategiesContents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Psychoeducation Worksheet for Physical Symptoms of Anxiety PAGEREF _Toc38918417 \h 2A Relaxation Training Script for Children PAGEREF _Toc38918418 \h 3Therapist Aid - Mindfulness Excercises for Children PAGEREF _Toc38918419 \h 8Therapist Aid – Mindfulness Excercises PAGEREF _Toc38918420 \h 9Calm Down With Take 5 Breathing PAGEREF _Toc38918421 \h 115 Steps to Managing Big Emotions PAGEREF _Toc38918422 \h 12Calm Down Yoga for Kids PAGEREF _Toc38918423 \h 13Calm Kids Belly Breathing Excercise PAGEREF _Toc38918424 \h 16“The Secret Room” by Give us a break PAGEREF _Toc38918425 \h 17The Bag of Worries Worksheet PAGEREF _Toc38918426 \h 18Challenge those negative thoughts PAGEREF _Toc38918427 \h 20Positive Self Talk Worksheet PAGEREF _Toc38918428 \h 21The Counselling Teacher - COVID-19 Worksheet PAGEREF _Toc38918429 \h 22Helpful resources for COVID-19 PAGEREF _Toc38918430 \h 23Psychoeducation Worksheet for Physical Symptoms of Anxiety67145198783A Relaxation Training Script for ChildrenHands and Arms-11430029210Pretend you have a whole lemon in your left hand. Now squeeze it hard. Try to squeeze all the juice out. Feel the tightness in your hand and arm as you squeeze. Now drop the lemon. Notice how your muscles feel when they are relaxed. Take another lemon and squeeze it. Try to squeeze this one harder than you did the first one. Squeeze really hard. Now drop your lemon and relax. See how much better your hand and arm feel when they are relaxed. Once again, take a lemon in your left hand and squeeze all the juice out. Don’t leave a single drop. Squeeze hard. Now relax and let the lemon fall from your hand. (Repeat this process for your right hand and arm).Arms and ShouldersPretend you are a furry, lazy cat. You want to stretch. Stretch your arms out in front of you. Raise them high over your head. Way back. Feel the pull in your shoulders. Stretch higher. Now just let your arms drop back to your side. Okay, stretch again. Stretch your arms out in front of you. Raise them over your head. Pull them back, way back. Pull hard. Now let them drop quickly. Notice how your shoulders feel more relaxed.11620506350This time let us have a great big stretch. Try to touch the ceiling. Stretch your arms way out in front of you. Raise them way up high over your head. Push them way, way back. Notice the tension and pull in your arms and shoulders. Hold tight, now. Great. Let them drop very quickly and feel how good it is to be relaxed. It feels good and warm and lazy.Shoulders and NeckNow pretend you are a turtle. You’re sitting out on a rock beside a nice, peaceful pond, just relaxing in the warm sun. It feels nice and warm and safe here. Oh-oh! You sense danger. Pull your head into your house. Try to pull your shoulders up to your ears and push your head down into your shoulders. Hold in tight. It isn’t easy to be a turtle in a shell. The danger is past now. You can come out into the warm sunshine, and, once again, you can relax and feel the warm sunshine. 251460047625Watch out now! More danger. Hurry, pull your head back into your house and hold it tight. You have to be closed in tight to protect yourself. Okay, you can relax now. Bring your head out and let your shoulders relax. Notice how much better it feels to be relaxed than to be all tight. One more time, now. Danger! Pull your head in. Push your shoulders way up to your ears and hold tight. Don’t let even a tiny piece of your head show outside your shell. Hold it. Feel the tenseness in your neck and shoulders. Okay. You can come out now. It’s safe again. Relax and feel comfortable in your safety. There’s no more danger. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to be afraid of. You feel good.Face and NoseHere comes a pesky old fly. He has landed on your nose. Try to get him off without using your hands. That’s right, wrinkle up your nose. Make as many wrinkles in your nose as you can. Scrunch your nose up really hard. Good. You’ve chased him away. 3714750296545Now, you can relax your nose. Oops, here he comes back again. Shoo him off. Wrinkle it up hard. Hold it just as tight as you can. Okay, he flew away. You can relax your face. Notice that when you scrunch up your nose that your cheeks and your mouth and your forehead and your eyes all help you, too, and they get tight too. So, when you relax your nose, your whole face relaxes too, and that feels good. Oh-oh! This time that old fly has come back, but this time he’s on your forehead. Make lots of wrinkles. Try to catch him between all those wrinkles. Hold it tight now. Okay, you can let go. He’s gone for good. Now you can just relax. Let your face go smooth, no wrinkles anywhere. Your face feels nice and smooth and relaxed.Jaw20066001410970You have a giant jawbreaker bubble gum in your mouth. It’s very hard to chew. Bite down on it. Hard! Let your neck muscles help you. Now relax. Just let your jaw muscles hang loose. Notice how good it feels just to let your jaw drop. Okay, let’s tackle that jawbreaker again now. Bite down. Hard! Try to really squeeze it out between your teeth. That’s good. You’re really tearing that gum up. Now relax again. Just let your jaw drop off your face. It feels so good just to let go and not have to fight that bubble gum. Okay, one more time. We’re really going to tear it up this time. Bite down. Hard as you can. Harder. Oh, you’re working really hard. Good. Now relax. Try to relax your whole body. You’ve beaten the bubble gum. Let yourself go as loose as you can.StomachHey! Here comes a cute baby elephant. But he’s not watching where he is going. He doesn’t see you lying there in the grass, and he’s about to step on your stomach. Don’t move, you don’t have time to get out of the way. Just get ready for him. Make your stomach very hard. Tighten up your stomach muscles really tight. Hold it! It looks like he is going the other way. You can relax now. Let your stomach go soft. Let it be as relaxed as you can. That feels so much better. Oops, he’s coming this way again. Get ready. Tighten up your stomach. Really hard. If he steps on you when your stomach is hard, it won’t hurt. Make your stomach into a rock. Okay, he’s moving away again. You can relax now. Settle down, get comfortable and relax. Notice the difference between a tight and a relaxed one. That’s how we want it to feel – nice and loose and relaxed. You won’t believe this, this time he’s really coming your way and no turning around. He’s headed straight for you. Tighten up. Tighten hard. Here he comes. This is really it. You’ve got to hold on tight. He’s stepping on you. He’s stepped over you. Now he’s gone for good. You can completely relax. You’re safe. Everything is okay, and you can feel nice and relaxed.125730047625Legs and FeetNow pretend that you are standing barefoot in a big, fat mud puddle. Squish your toes down to deep into the mud. Try to get your feet down to the bottom of the mud puddle. You’ll probably need your legs to help you push. Push down, spread your toes apart, and feel the mud squish up between your toes. 41186103810Now step out of the mud puddle. Relax your feet. Let your toes go loose and feel how nice that is. It feels good to be relaxed. Back into the mud puddle. Squish your toes down. Let your leg muscles help you push your feet down. Push your feet. Hard. Try to squeeze that mud puddle dry. Okay. Come back for now. Relax your feet, relax your legs, relax your toes. It feels so good to be relaxed. No tenseness anywhere. You feel kind of warm and tingly.-2984504412615A Relaxation Training Script for Children was adapted from: Koeppen, A.S. (1974). Relaxation training for children. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 9, 14-21.00A Relaxation Training Script for Children was adapted from: Koeppen, A.S. (1974). Relaxation training for children. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 9, 14-21.Therapist Aid - Mindfulness Excercises for Childrencenter259080left469900Therapist Aid – Mindfulness Excercisesleft2844-3568706610985Carmody, J., & Baer, R. A. (2008). Relationships between mindfulness practice and levels of mindfulness, medical and psychological symptoms and well-being in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Journal of behavioral medicine, 31(1), 23-33.020000Carmody, J., & Baer, R. A. (2008). Relationships between mindfulness practice and levels of mindfulness, medical and psychological symptoms and well-being in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Journal of behavioral medicine, 31(1), 23-33.Calm Down With Take 5 Breathing190500227330center8021955Take 5 Breathing Exercise accessed on 5 Breathing Exercise accessed on Steps to Managing Big Emotionsright571517145074688705 Steps to Managing Big Emotions Exercise accessed on Steps to Managing Big Emotions Exercise accessed on Down Yoga for Kidscenter23431500“I am strong.” Pretend to be a surfer.To do Warrior 2 Pose: From standing position, step one foot back, placing the foot so that it is facing slightly outwards. Take your arms up in parallel to the ground, bend your front knee, and look forward. Pretend to be a surfer and use your strength to catch tricky waves.??182438176834“I am kind.” Pretend to be a tree.To do Tree Pose: Stand on one leg, bend your knee, place the sole of your foot on the opposite inner thigh, and balance. Sway like a tree. Think of trees being kind by offering shade, creating oxygen, and providing homes to animals.?182549131114“I am brave.” Pretend to be a skier.To do Chair Pose: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees, and keep a straight spine. Hold your hands out in front of you, pretending to grasp ski poles as you fly down a ski run like a brave and fearless skier.??-39756203835“I am friendly.” Pretend to be a dog.To do Downward-Facing Dog Pose: Bend down and place your palms flat on the ground. Step your feet back to create an upside-down V shape with your buttocks high in the air. Straighten your legs, relax your head and neck, and look down between your legs. Think of being an eager and friendly dog.76209111“I am wise.” Pretend to be an owl.To do Hero Pose: Drop your knees to the ground and come down to rest upright on your heels. Then pretend to be a wise owl perched on a tree. Twist your upper body one way and then the other.right3364865Calm Down Yoga for Kids accessed on Down Yoga for Kids accessed on Kids Belly Breathing Excercise“The Secret Room” by Give us a break6142911154The Bag of Worries WorksheetThe Bag of Worries-Children can worry about the most unexpected things! The worry bag is a way of helping them express and externalise these disturbing thoughts so that they can be better understood and put into proportion. Inside the bag place a selection of monsters. You might want to introduce the idea of ‘everyone worrying at sometimes’ and the ‘Bag of Worries’ that can be taken out from time to time and explored to help you feel better; “sometimes I forget what’s in here, but I like to take them out occasionally and when I’m done I close the bag back up tightly.” Ask if they want to have a look, ask if they ever worry, and as they take each one out see if they want to give any of them a funny name/personality/ explanation of the worry. They may want to draw or make ones of their own. You can introduce the idea of worries growing or shrinking in order to get a gauge on the size of the problem- explore what makes the worries bigger/smaller? Keying into children’s magical thinking can help-try asking if they know the facts about Worry Monsters…“…when a Worry sneaks up in the dark of night,the Worry can give you an aweful fright-but if you see a Worry in the light of day,you just have to laugh, and it runs away!”Most children will say that they’ve heard this about Worry Monsters, and you can explore different ways to take the power and fear out of their worries. This could include imagining the worry dressed in ridiculous clothes, doing silly things etc. so that it’s easy to laugh at them.NB* Stories such as the ‘Harry Potter’ character of the ‘Boggatt’ can be a useful tool to use, especially if children are already familiar with these stories. The Boggatt is a shapeshifter that likes to live in dark places and takes on the form of the thing that you’re most scared of. The only way to be rid of it is by using a ‘Ridikulus! Spell. Imagine it in a ridiculous situation (dressed in Granny’s false teeth and hat?!?), cast the spell and laugh at it. Guaranteed to make it disappear! Other stories that can help include ‘The Worry Ball’ (see over)The Story of The Worry BallOnce upon a time a little girl was out playing when they saw a Worry Ball bouncing down the street. As she looked it bounced right up close, bounced onto her foot and disappeared! The Worry ball had gone right through her shoe and into her foot and she could feel it bouncing around inside the foot and making it feel very odd indeed. The girl tried to shake it out and started to kick the foot around. She felt better when they kicked things, but then the foot hurt from the kicking which was not very nice. Then the ball started to move up her leg, getting bigger as it went. It made her feel like stomping around in a really grumpy way. The girl stomped off home, and the stomping did seem to help until her legs got tired of all the grumpiness and very quickly so did all her family too! The Worry Ball was soon on the move again inside, and it felt like it was getting bigger all the time. Next it went into her chest and made her heart feel all thumpy. This scared the girl a bit, and she was just thinking about whether to cry when it moved again, into the arm this time. The Worry Ball made her arm feel like hitting something, she really, really wanted to hit something, but then she remembered what happened to her leg when she let herself just kick out and how much it hurt afterwards, and decided not to bother. She needed to do something though, so she thought and thought and had a fantastic idea. The girl picked up a crayon and suddenly the hand started to draw. A strange hissing noise was heard as some of the Worry started to come out of her hand and into the drawing. Wow! Thought the girl, that feels better, but no sooner had she thought that thought when the Worry Ball was on the move again, this time across and into the other hand. The idea to hit something came back but instead of hurting herself the girl picked up a drumstick and hit the toy drum. There was that hissing noise again…as some more of the worry came out of the ball in the music that was being played. It felt good and it didn’t sound that bad either!As the girl found better ways to let the worry out the Worry Ball got smaller. The now small ball moved out of the girls arm and bounced around in her head. It started to make her feel a bit head-achey and sick. She rushed into another room in a panic trying to think of what to do next, and then she thought of it; maybe her best idea yet- she opened their mouth and spoke. Words tumbled over each other to get out. At first it just sounded like the strange hissing noise but bigger. She wondered what others would think, but soon it became proper words all about the worries that she had been feeling. It felt sooooo good to just let them come out of her mouth and as she did the Worry Ball got smaller and smaller! As the girl paused to take a breath she noticed a tickle in her throat and coughed. A tiny, tiny little bubble escaped from her mouth and went floating off into the blue sky. That was all that was left of the Worry Ball. With no worries left inside, it didn’t need to live inside the little girl any more, and if she ever saw a Worry Ball again bouncing around, looking for a home, she knew exactly what to do. Oh, and now we’ve heard this story, we know what to do too!-327660-478155Challenge those negative thoughtsSometimes when we are worried about something it can be really hard to think clearly and we can then only think about the bad things that may happen and ignore any positive ones. To help us assess a problem thoroughly, it can be handy to put our worries into court! In court we can look at what evidence there is for our worry to occur, but also whether there is anything else which may suggest our worries may not happen. For example: “I am really worried I will fail my exams”Evidence for failing examsEvidence against failing examsI have failed exams before I have had help from my teacherI passed my last exam I have studied hard Now it’s your turn! Can you be the judge and look at evidence from both sides? My worry is ………………………………………………………………………………………………………Evidence ForEvidence Against Positive Self Talk Worksheet5486400167640Try positive self-talk!Positive self-talk is saying positive things to yourself in your head. It can help you feel better about things and can help in situations that you are worried or nervous about. Imagine you are your own coach and encourage yourself to get through the situation. Or Imagine you were trying to reassure a friend about something, what would you say to them? Here are some examples: -11430010795I can do this!I’m doing really wellI’ll be fineIt’s ok to feel nervous but I can manage00I can do this!I’m doing really wellI’ll be fineIt’s ok to feel nervous but I can manage Can you think of some other positive phrases that you could say to yourself?-114300160655004343400264160001600200175704500205740016065500You could also write down some of the sentences and keep them with you, maybe in your purse or wallet, to look at any time you feel worried or nervous. The Counselling Teacher - COVID-19 Worksheet-132191462170Helpful resources for COVID-19Coronavirus: A Book for Children Learning Activities for Children Health Organisation – Helping Children Cope with Stress Tips for Children to Cope During Lockdown is Coronavirus: A Social Story for Children with Autism ................
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