Happier Days
What if I get anxiety?
Anxiety can come at any time and when you least expect it. I seem to feel most worried at night, before bed, but sometimes I feel really worried in the morning or even during school, sometimes for no reason at all.
On this page you can find different ways to help calm your anxiety no matter where you are. Some may work better than others, but try them all and hopefully we will find the best one for you!
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Draw a creature
For this tip, you need some pencils and some paper. You can draw any creature you like and then label what feelings you have and how they affect your body.
For example, when I feel worried my heart beats really fast so I have labeled the heart. I also feel really sick so I have labelled the tummy.
Doing this helps me understand what is happening in my body and the reactions it is having when I feel anxious. Drawing these reactions on a creature also helps me explain how I am feeling. It can help make anxiety feel less scary when I know what to expect and to remember it always passes.
Talk to a trusted adult
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This is the most important tip but one of the hardest to do sometimes. You may think that people won't understand or that they might make fun of you, but talking to your teacher, parent or trusted adult is often be the best and only thing to do when you're scared and your worries are taking over.
Grown ups can help talk you through a scary situation or just give you a hug and help you to feel safe. I know that talking with and hugging my mum is sometimes the only thing that helps and if she can't help, she knows how to get me to someone that can.
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Breathing
For me, steady breathing is the most helpful thing to do when I'm feeling anxious. I know this sounds insane as everyone is always breathing and everyone does it easily! But when you're anxious, your heart beats fast, your breathing speeds up and your mind starts to race, making it feel impossible to calm down. So slow and steady breathing is often the only way to settle big worries.
If you feel anxiety creeping up, try to find a quiet place, close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Breathe in your nose and count to 5, then breathe slowly out your mouth and count to 8. Repeat until you feel better. Don't stop, just keep going until your heart calms down and your shaking settles.
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If you can, click on this video and I'll breathe with you.
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Create a Worry Box
If we let it, anxiety can ruin our whole day. I found that if I make some time each day to think about my worries, I worry less. For example, when I get home from school I spend some time with my mum talking about what is worrying me. I write my worries on a piece of paper and then put them in a box. Once I have talked about each one I close the lid and they stay trapped in the box, not floating around in my mind worrying me all night.
The Waterfall
Another technique i was taught by Emma was to draw my worries going down the waterfall. My favourite things were at the banks of the river safe and away from my worries as they pass by and disappear. I think about my worries being only thoughts that can not hurt my family and friends.
Five Facts
One tip that my friend Alison taught me is the 'Five Facts' technique. When I feel anxiety taking control of me, I stop and tell myself to think of five facts. Five things I know to be absolutely 100% true like:
The milky way is the galaxy that has our solar system living in.
The Eiffel tower is located in Paris and is 324 meters tall.
The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world.
The Queen lives in Buckingham palace in London.
Prince Harry got married to Meghan Markle in 2018.
Your facts can be about anything. But try to think of more interesting facts as you go. If you are finding it to hard, start with easier ones by looking around you for example:
That wall is white.
I live in Australia.
My name is Ava.
My cousin lives in Western Australia.
I can hear cars driving by.
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