Supporting Youth Experiencing Worry and Anxiety
Overview
It can be challenging to know how to understand and support young people experiencing worry and anxiety. Access resources on definitions, strategies, and tools to support youth.
Courses
Recognizing and Managing Anxiety in the Classroom
This course is designed to help educators navigate the nuances involved with recognizing and addressing anxiety and stress in K-12 students. John Piacentini, PhD, ABPP, Director, Center for Child Anxiety Resilience Education and Support (CARES) joins his colleagues, Monica Wu, PhD, Kate Sheehan, LCSW, and Emily Ricketts, PhD in discussing common manifestations of anxiety. Video vignettes engage the learner to better understand various ways in which anxiety may thwart a child’s academic, emotional, and social development. Practical strategies for individual and classroom use are offered ...
Printable Tools
Day-of Test Anxiety Tips
The day of your test is here and with it comes a good amount of anxiety. Use these tips to care for yourself when your body enters fight/flight/freeze mode and lower anxiety both immediately before and during the exam. These tips were written by a UCLA student advisor and originally published on the UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilience Education and Support (CARES) website. More information about the Day-of Test Anxiety Tips can be accessed here.
Feeling Thermometer
The Feeling Thermometer is an emotion regulation tool, designed to support a shared language to communicate levels of comfortability. The Feeling Thermometer uses colors and numbers ranging from comfortable feelings to uncomfortable feelings. Use this Feeling Thermometer as a quick and easy way to check in with one another.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that involves flexing and releasing certain muscle groups as a way to relieve muscle tension. Use this script to teach progressive muscle relaxation with youth and adults.
Sensory Kit on the Go
Sensory toolkits can help lower levels of anxiety, even when you are out and about. Use the summary of senses on this printable tool to build a sensory kit you can take with you to school, work, extracurricular activities, and anywhere that anxiety might get in the way. This Sensory Toolkit was written by a UCLA undergraduate youth advisor and originally published on the UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilience Education and Support (CARES) website with further information and can be accessed here.
Videos
Anxiety and Avoidance: How Negative Reinforcement Fuels Anxiety
While it may sound counterintuitive, avoiding an anxiety-inducing situation can make the anxiety worse. Watch this expert explanation of how avoidance can lead to more and more anxiety in the future.
Common Patterns of Anxious Thoughts
Anxiety can cause patterns of thinking known as cognitive (or thought) distortions. Watch this expert explanation of common types of anxious thoughts and how these patterns can impact a child’s ability to grow and learn.
Emotion Regulation: Getting Back to Comfortability Demonstration
A helpful emotion regulation tool is the Feeling Thermometer and its handy color zones for manageable (or less manageable) emotion states. The “green zone” is optimal for learning and communicating with others. Watch this demonstration of how to use the “Getting to Green” handout to identify individual strategies to stay in your optimal performance zone.
Feeling Thermometer Demonstration
The Feeling Thermometer can help us talk about our feelings without oversharing. It emphasizes how manageable or unmanageable we feel so we can help ourselves spend more time in manageable feelings and bring emotion regulation skills to unmanageable moments. This tool works for all ages, from very young children to very mature adults. Watch this demonstration of how the Feeling Thermometer can be used at home.
Websites
Back-to-School Mental Health Resources
Going back to school can be stressful. Access resources for youth, parents, family, friends, schools, and teachers how to get help when it is needed.
UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilience Education and Support (CARES)
The UCLA Center for Anxiety Resilience Education and Support (CARES) is dedicated to reducing the burden of childhood anxiety and enhancing family and community resilience. The CARES website provides information about the prevention and early intervention of childhood anxiety as well as evidence-based skills and strategies for managing anxiety.
