Anyone can experience anxiety – a racing heart, sweaty palms, the brain fog… it happens as part of our body’s fight-flight-freeze response. But it can be difficult to get through when you don’t understand what is going on.
Teaching kids and teens about emotions gives them the toolkit to navigate anxiety. And, as a parent or caregiver, understanding emotions helps you to better support them…and to better understand yourself!
Recently, FindMyTherapist shared free worksheets that will teach your kids about emotional regulation. Taken from a new workbook by practitioners Amanda Crowder, Julianna Elsworth, and Anastasia Harmeyer, they give us five exercises to manage anxiety. You can download the free worksheets here.
- The Mind-Full Box
Your child thinks of what is upsetting them, and imagines putting it inside a box. They also draw this and are then led through a basic breathing exercise.
- Aware + Care
A checklist of actions you can go through to practice self-care.
- Setting Expectations
A worksheet your child can use as they begin therapy – giving them the ability to determine what they want to experience and achieve through the process.
- The Feelings Rainbow
What colours are your feelings? And if you can’t name your feelings – what colour do certain situations make you think of? This colouring sheet can also be used as a physical activity and helps kids to identify and connect their emotions so they can process them.
- The Feelings Thermometer
When people ask you how you are feeling, do you struggle to find words beyond ‘good’ or ‘bad’? This worksheet has a list of feeling words useful for every age – and each category of words is listed under a certain emotion. Our emotions can grow and change quickly, so by drawing these feelings ton a picture of a thermometer, your child can see how they emotions increase and exacerbate. This could be useful for identifying triggers, not just focusing on an event where someone ‘acts out’ but understanding the core emotion and brief this stemmed from.
Does your child need a safe space to process their feelings? Contact Rachel on 0442177193 for a FREE 10-minute phone consultation on how we can best help you, or press book now and make an appointment.
Watersedge Counselling is not associated with FindMyTherapist.com and does not receive anything if you chose to download these free resources or purchase the workbook advertised.
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