Anxiety Explained
Why does anxiety happen even when there is no real danger?
What is the brain's alarm system when it has an overestimating threat (fight/flight response).
What system in the body activates during anxiety?
What is flight-or-fight / nervous system response?
Why is breathing a helpful first step when anxiety starts?
What is that it signals the body to calm down and slows the stress response?
What is a "thinking trap"?
What are unhelpful thought patterns that increase anxiety (e.g., worst-case thinking?
You notice anxiety starting during class. What is your first internal step?
What is to notice it and identify body/thought changes?
What is the purpose of anxiety in the body when it is helpful?
What is to protect us from danger / prepare us to respond?
Why do physical symptoms (like racing heart) feel so real even if there is no danger?
What is having the brain prepare the body for action?
When would grounding skills be more helpful than posistive self-talk?
What is when someone feels overwhelmed or "spaced out" and needs to reconnect to the present?
Reframe:
"If I feel anxious, something is wrong with me."
What is:
"Anxiety is a normal body response and it will pass."
You try breathing, but anxiety stays high. What should you do next?
What is add another skills (grounding, movement, self-talk, or ask for help)?
How is "stress" different from "anxiety"?
What is stress usually being tied to a specific situation; whereas anxiety can happen without a clear trigger and longer?
What is happening in your breathing when anxiety increases, and why does that matter?
What is our breathing becoming shallow/fast, which can increase dizziness and panic?
Why is it important to practice coping skills when you are calm, not just during anxiety?
What is that it teaches the brain the skill and can access it more easily during stress?
What makes "what if" thoughts so powerful?
What would be that they focus on uncertain future threats and increase worry cycles?
A friend refuses to go to school because of anxiety. What is a supportive response?
What would be:
validate feelings + encourage coping + suggest support from trusted adult
Why might avoidance make anxiety stronger over time?
What is having the brain learning the situation as a dangerous and it doesn't give chances to learn it as being safe?
Explain how thoughts, feelings, and body sensations are connected during anxiety?
What are having our thoughts trigger fear, which leads to out body reacting, and then sensations increase our fear?
Choose the best coping sequence and explain why:
(A) Ignore -->distract --> panic
(B) Notice -->breath -->ground -->reframe
What is B because it follows regulation steps that calm the body before thinking?
Turn this thought into a balanced thought:
"I'm going to fail and everyone will notice."
What is:
"I might feel nervous, but I can prepare and di my best step by step."
Create a 3-step plan for handling anxiety before a stressful event.
What is:
prepare thoughts -->use coping skill before -->use grounding during event
Why can anxiety feel dangerous even when it isn't actually harmful to your body?
What is having the brain activating a real survival response, but it's a false alarm- the sensations are real, but not dangerous?
Explain why trying to "fight" or get rid of anxiety quickly can sometimes make physical symptoms worse?
Why is it important to match the coping skill to how intense your anxiety feels (low vs. high)?
What is that higher anxiety needs the bodies base to calm down first, while lower anxiety can be managed with thinking skills-using the wrong skill may not work effectively?
What is the difference between a positive thought and a balanced thought, and why does that matter?
What is that a positive thought may feel unrealistic, while a balanced thought is believable and grounding in reality-making it more effective in reducing anxiety?