5 Anxiety Worksheets (Free Download)
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Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental illnesses in the US, affecting roughly 18% of the population each year. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of coping skills and techniques that can help clients manage anxiety symptoms. Some are more lifestyle changes that can help alleviate symptoms, and some require the treatment and guidance of a licensed clinician.
5 free anxiety worksheets
Worksheets and other written aids are one way you can help your clients work through their symptoms. Here are five free anxiety worksheets you can download to put to use in your practice. Your clients can use these anxiety worksheets as a guide to help them manage their symptoms in their daily lives outside of sessions with you.
Anxiety triggers worksheet
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This anxiety triggers worksheet can be a good first step to helping your clients manage their anxiety. By helping your clients identify what triggers their anxiety, when, and why, you can help them form coping strategies and methods to calm down when those moments arise.
This anxiety worksheet has a bank of common triggers at the top, where your client can circle any that apply to them. You can also work with your client to create a bank here that is specific to them.
Then, your client can write the last time they encountered one of these triggers, or if there is a common recurring time and place where they know they are likely to encounter them again. They can also write down any physical changes they experience in those moments and what they are thinking and feeling.
Lastly, you and your clients can work together to write down coping mechanisms they can use when these moments arise again. If your client has some already, they can include those in the last section, or if you come up with some together they can go there as well.
Grounding techniques worksheets
The grounding techniques anxiety worksheet lays out a few techniques your clients can use when they are feeling anxiety to bring them back to the present moment. You can discuss and practice these techniques in your sessions first, and then give your clients this handout to serve as a reminder in case they need to use any of them on their own.
5-4-3-2-1 technique
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique worksheet
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The 5-4-3-2-1 technique helps your clients take in details of their surroundings using each of their senses. For example, they should name 5 things they can see, 4 things they can feel, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and 1 thing they can taste. The worksheet can include a space for your client to write down each of these observations, but it can also just be a mental activity.
Anchor breathing worksheet
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You can also help your clients practice breath awareness, or anchor breathing. In each of these activities, your client simply needs to bring more awareness to their breath—no other changes are required. To do these exercises, tell your client to find a comfortable position, whether that is sitting, standing, or laying down if that’s possible. In anchor breathing, your client should imagine being on a calm, quiet boat, with an anchor keeping them safely in that position. Then, they can place their hands on their chest and breathe deeply, and focus on how their lungs expand and their hands move with each breath.
Categories worksheet
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The last activity on the grounding activities anxiety worksheet is categories. These categories should be areas that your client finds joy in, so they can get into a more positive mindset as they go through their list. It can also be helpful to use the list as a way to calm their mind during an anxiety attack. You can use these categories, or you can choose new ones with your clients. For each of the categories—for instance, movies, books, cereals, sports teams, etc—have your client name as many items in that category as they can.
Challenging irrational thoughts worksheet
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The challenging irrational thoughts anxiety worksheet helps your clients notice and recognize irrational thoughts when they occur in their daily lives, and gives them a tool to replace those thoughts with more rational ones.
Using the anxiety triggers worksheet, have your client write down a situation where they often feel anxiety.
Then have them imagine that situation, and have them write down the worst possible outcome of that situation, the best possible outcome, and the most likely outcome. This will help your clients face the worst possible outcome, which may be irrational, but also recognize that there are other options that are better and perhaps more likely.
You can use this anxiety worksheet in sessions together, or you can assign it as homework and ask your client to bring it to their next session to discuss with you.
What other activities help people with anxiety?
There are a lot more activities that can help people with anxiety in addition to therapy and the worksheets provided above. Some of these activities are lifestyle adjustments, such as:
- Physical activities, like running, lifting weights, or doing yoga
- Practicing meditation and mindfulness
- Keeping a journal
- Improving sleep hygiene and getting more rest
- Avoiding drugs, smoking, or drinking caffeine, all of which can increase anxiety symptoms
All of these activities aim to reduce stress and other symptoms of anxiety in the body, so that your clients with anxiety are able to relax and work through their symptoms. All of these activities can also be done at home or in your client’s daily life outside of sessions, so while you can discuss and practice them together, your clients will have some tools they can use to manage their anxiety when they aren’t with you.
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