3. Learning About Anxiety
Now you know your first facts about anxiety, it’s time to put them to use on the Anxiety Thermometer.
On the Anxiety Thermometer, write down some of the things you may notice as a young person experiences increasing anxiety. Begin with the first things someone may feel, then move across the thermometer, writing down what they might notice as their anxiety increases. The table below should give you some guidance on where to start and we have given you some examples.
You can print a thermometer on the worksheet here, or complete the table below.
See our examples below:
| LOW ANXIETY | MEDIUM ANXIETY | HIGH ANXIETY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| THOUGHTS | e.g. My friend might be cross with me | e.g. My friend is going to stop being my friend | e.g. All my friends will hate me and I will be left on my own |
| FEELINGS | e.g. Feeling frightened or panicky | e.g. ‘Short fuse’ - getting irritable and angry easily | e.g. Other people’s emotions affecting you more easily |
| PHYSICAL | e.g. Taking longer to drop off to sleep | e.g. Getting up lots of times in the night worrying | e.g. Very disrupted sleep |
| BEHAVIOURS | e.g. Avoidance of doing things that create anxiety | e.g. Getting into arguments more often | e.g. Checking behaviours |
Now, try for yourself! Either download our worksheet here, or write your answers down below:
Once you have noted your anxiety symptoms, you can reduce and manage them by following the techniques on the next page.
