Anxiety and the body
True or False:
When nervous or scared, a person's breathing slows down.
FALSE!
Usually a person starts to breath really fast. Other things that happen is their muscles can get really tense and they might feel like they want to leave or get away.
People are looking at me and pointing. An unhelpful thought I might have is ..........?
Examples might be:
"What is wrong with how I look or what I'm wearing?"
"They are saying mean things about me."
What is a more helpful thought you could have instead?
You see a spider. It is coming toward you, quickly!! It is the biggest spider you have ever seen. Oh, and you don't like spiders. What might you do? Answers should be verbs.
SCREAM! RUN AWAY!
Watch it closely so it didn't get away,
ask someone to come remove it.
When trying to relax, should you take quick breathes, or slow breathes?
Slow breathes.
(practice now).
Name 5 things that are common for people to be afraid of.
Spiders, the dark, heights, dying, clowns, sharks, bees, snakes, insects in general, mice, social situations, germs, needles, flying, scary movies, being alone, burglars, being away from parents, being stuck in small spaces, and lots more!!
Everyone is afraid of something.
Name at least 3 ways to calm your body when you are having anxiety.
Any 3 are correct. Here are some examples:
take deep breathes, try some stretching, backward shoulder rolls, superhero pose, hug yourself, tense muscles and then relax muscles, splash cold water on your face, weighted blanket, 5,4,3,2,1 sensory game, and there are lots more!
Name 3 other words for Anxiety
scared, worried, nervous.
Think about a time when you were the most scared or nervous you have ever been.
Which of these 3 did you do: fight, flight, or freeze? Talk about your story for full points.
Talk about your story. More examples for bonus points!! Each example gets 200 points.
Describe a breathing exercise you have learned in counseling
Any answer will do. But some examples: 4 square breathing, hand on chest and tummy, hand on chest and back of neck, nostril breathing, and many others
What is it called in therapy when you confront your fears? Hint: It starts with the letter E
Exposure! Why don't people like exposure? Why should they do it anyway?
You are nervous because it is your turn to present in front of the class. What are three things you might notice your body feels like?
Any three things - but for example, tingly all over, shaky, muscle aches, sweaty or feeling cold, trembly voice, 'butterflies' in the stomach, have to go to the bathroom, heart beat faster, changes in breathing - often quick and fast breathes.
If a person is afraid of flying, what might they be thinking is going to happen?
"The plane is going to crash!"
What could they think instead that might make them feel better?
Which of the following is a BEHAVIOR (verb) a person might have when anxious:
- tummy ache
- "No one is going to like me"
- crying
- overwhelmed
Answer: Crying. It is an action (a verb).
Tummy ache is a physical sensation from anxiety.
"No one is going to like me" is a thought a person might have when anxious
Overwhelmed is an emotion a person might have when anxious
Close you eyes and describe your happy place using your 5 senses (sight, smell, sound, touch, taste)
Doing it earns you these points.
Sally is afraid of water. How can she GRADUALLY get over her fear? Put the following steps in order, starting with what she does first:
Jump off the diving board without a life jacket
Sit on the side and dangle her feet in the water
Practice floating in the shallow end with her lifejacket on
First: Sit on the side and dangle her feet in the water
Second: Practice floating in the shallow end with her lifejacket on
Third: Jump off the diving board without a life jacket
When we are suddenly frightened, what is the name of the hormone (brain chemical) released into our body that gives us that "rush" feeling?
Hint: It starts with the letter A.
Adrenaline.
Interesting fact: Did you know when you have a lot of adrenaline pumping through your body, the black circle in the middle of your eye (the pupil) gets huge?
First day at a new school. VERY NERVOUS!
Give an example of an UNHELPFUL thought that will make you more nervous.
And an example of a HELPFUL thought that might make you less nervous.
Examples -
Unhelpful: "Nobody will like me. I won't have anyone to sit with at lunchtime."
Helpful: "Kids love getting new students in their class. I bet I meet a bunch of new kids and they are all going to want to talk to me because I'm new and ask me questions and invite me to play at recess."
What are the 4 things humans tend to do when faced with sudden fear? (Hint, they all start with the letter F).
Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn
demonstrate the 5,4,3,2,1 sensory relaxation skill right now. 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste.
Doing it now earns you the points.
This question will give you double points if you get it correct because it is a hard question!
Which part of the brain is often called the "fear center."
Amygdala
Feelings nervous, scared, or anxious is not always a bad thing. The emotion of fear can keep us safe from danger and/or motivate us for action.
Give an example of when anxiety or fear can help us in a situation.
Recognizing real danger - like a bear in the woods or a dog off the leash snarling at you so staying away from them will keep you safe.
Motivate for action - feeling nervous about an upcoming test, so staying up late to study and then getting an A because you studied so hard!
Mary has to get 3 shots in order to attend 4th grade at her school. She is really scared of needles. What might she be thinking that is making her so scared?
extra points: What are 2 logical reasons she can tell herself about why she should get her vaccines
Helpful thoughts:
It only hurts for a second.
I bet it doesn't hurt as bad as when I ..........
I have to get these shots or I can't go to school.
I could get really sick without these shots.
My friend Sally said she didn't even feel it.
It must be safe if they give these shots to all children.
and more!
When we feel nervous, scared, or anxious what do we often want to do. What is our natural human urge?
Avoid the thing that is making us feel anxious. Double points if you give an example from your own life.
What does "mindfulness" mean?
Mindfulness is when we are all the way present in the moment. We are not thinking about the past, we are not worrying about the future. We are only paying attention to our thoughts right now, our feelings right now, or our physical body right now.
Practice - right now pay attention to your big toe on your right foot for 30 seconds. Give it 100% of your attention.
Johnny was about to perform his guitar solo in front of the whole school for the talent show.
He was terrified. He felt like he might run out of the building, or maybe throw up.
But he always dreamed of being a rockstar, so he got out there on stage anyway and got a lot of applause. Name 3 feelings he might have had after it was done.
Relieved, confident, strong, excited, wanting to do it again, proud of himself, exhausted, and many more....