Lesson 4: Anxiety in Your Body

Anxiety is a norrmal EMOTION that everyone feels at some point in their life. This is due to the release of hormones and neurotransmitters in our body when we feel stressed. It basically get us ready to fight or run away from what is making us anxious. It is called the fight/flight/freeze response. It raises our heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. It can feel quite unpleasant in the body. This response is an evolutionary and has kept us safe from actual danger and threats we are faced with in our life.

Superpower!

The bodies response to a threat or danger is really amazing. It can be considered a superpower. When there is a potential danger in front of you, your body automatically gets ready to fight, run or freeze to help you deal with the danger and keep us safe.

Tiger Attack!

Imagine you meet a great big tiger in the forest who is very hungry and wants to eat you all up. Your body kicks into action with out you even trying. It gets ready to fight or run away from the danger. Your body will soon realize whether to fight the danger or whether to run away from the danger. The chemicals that are released give you super strength.

What is Freeze?

Freeze happens when your body has decided it can't fight, it can't out run so it FREEZES. There are few reasons for this response. First, if you freeze you might not be a threat to whaver is facing you so it may not attack. Second, it numbs you out so you wouldn't feel pain if you were attacked. The body is very clever.

These reactions in the body can feel uncomfortable when there may not be any real physical danger inf front of you such as the tiger. These reactions are what happens to our bodies when we are anxious or under stress.

Lesson Part 1: Smoke Alarm

Material

• Smoke Alarm Worksheet (one per student)

• Quiz on Anxiety (one per student)

How?

INTRODUCTION

What happens if there isn't a dangerous situation or a threat? What happens if you get all these physical sensations but there doesn't appear to be anything for you to run away from or to fight?

Imagine there is a smoke alarm. They are there to warn us of a fire. If we hear the alarm we get out of the house and to safety. However, sometimes smoke alarms go off and there is no fire.

Anxiety/Stress is a bit like that. Your body gets ready to fight or run away from danger (like the tiger). However, there is no physical danger and your body is ready for that fight or to run away. There is no tiger.

When we are feeling tired or worried our smoke alarms can go off more easily. Sometimes we don't even know what is causing us to feel anxious.

1. Quiz time sheet to review Anxiety and reactions.

2. Brainstorm on Smoke Alarm Worksheet other possible scenarios that cause the alarm. Remember everyone is unique and we all have different levels of smoke alarm sensitivity.

3. Practice some calming techniques to calm the whole body.

Lesson Part 2: Working on Anxiety

Materials

• Anxiety in Body Worksheet

• Anxiety Aliases in Body Worksheet

• Your Anxiety Triggers Worksheet

How?

Activity is to work through the 3 worksheets to increase student vocabulary and work on identifying the feelings Anxiety/Stress or Anxiousness produces in the body. As well as talking about Triggers of Anxiety.

Best when it is Brainstormed and discussed in smaller groups and then as a larger class.

Lesson Part 3: The Worries

Material

• Challenge Negative Thinking/Change your Thoughts Worksheets

• Words For Worry Worksheet

• Sorting out the Worries Worksheet

How?

There are different types of worries which can build our anxiety response. Some worries can be in our CONTROL and some are NOT in our CONTROl. Working throught the worksheets help us build our own tools and control over our worries.

1. Challenging our Negative Thinking helps us cope with our worries. Then practice with Change Your Thoughts worksheet.

2. There are lots of words that are associated with worries, brainstorm with a friend and see if your words match.

3. Sorting out the Worries Worksheet will give you some practices in how to cope with worries in our CONTROL and those that are NOT in our CONTROL.

Lesson Part 4: Mindfulness of the Worries

Material

• Safe Place Worksheet

• Mindful Planning Worksheet

• Things to Remember Tool

How?

Safe Place and Mindful Planning are Worksheet to help students build tools for their stress tool box. We need a lot of tools for the job when we are anxious and feeling worried about situations. Things to Remember is a great reference tool that students can have in their binders or at home to remind them of all things they have learned adn use to calm the mind and body.