This new social-emotional learning (SEL) resource helps grow self awareness and empathy for others by visualizing connections between feelings and the behaviors those feelings often prompt.
Anxiety triggers are things that can make people feel anxious, such as having too much to do and facing large crowds. They can happen more often during puberty in teens and can be connected to different situations. While sources of their anxiety vary, identifying these triggers is important. The Anxiety Triggers for Teens worksheet allows teenagers to increase their self-awareness by identifying the things that worry them. It lists over 30 anxiety triggers for them to rate from 1 to 10 based on how much each trigger bothers them. They can also write down additional triggers not found in the worksheet and note the coping skills they use in the spaces provided below. By using the worksheet, teens can find ways to handle stress healthily and stop aiming for perfection or fearing they won't do well. For instance, if a teen is worried about academic expectations, they can use this awareness to come up with practical strategies like setting doable goals or getting support. To better manage their anxiety, teens can utilize the Anxiety Self-Care Checklist worksheet, which guides them through self-care activities without overwhelming them. After a stressful situation, they can check off activities like deep breathing exercises, physical activity, and talking to a trusted friend or family member. *This item is an instant digital download. A link to download your files will be emailed to you once payment is confirmed. Want more resources like this? Check out our full catalog of anxiety worksheets and handouts. References: Garland, E. J. (2001). Rages and refusals: Managing the many faces of adolescent anxiety. Canadian Family Physician, 47(5), 1023-1030. Silk, J. S., Davis, S., McMakin, D. L., Dahl, R. E., & Forbes, E. E. (2012). Why do anxious children become depressed teenagers? The role of social evaluative threat and reward processing. Psychological Medicine, 42(10), 2095-2107. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291712000207 Simpson, K., Adams, D., Wheeley, E., & Keen, D. (2019). Parent perspectives on the presentation, triggers, impact, and support of anxiety in young children on the autism spectrum. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29(2), 572-582. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01576-5
Life is fraught with challenges, and a big part of dealing with them involves understanding negative emotional triggers and how to cope with them.
We hear the word “triggered” an awful lot these days. Any time someone gets angry about pretty much anything, people say they are “triggered”. But, while it is an overly used catchphrase, there are times
As we are coming towards the end of 2020, I think it’s fair to say that this has been a tough year for many people. Life has thrown a lot of crap our way in the last year, and I know some people who are dealing with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress from life changes, […]
Common emotional triggers for empaths + self-protection tips to help empaths cope. Becoming aware of triggers helps avoid stress.
After a few months in Singapore, I had recently started dating again, and the more I was observing myself, the more I noticed a pattern. I still remember the day I sat in my favorite corner of a coffee shop in my new city, noticing my heart racing and my palms growing clammy as I
Where Does Your Inner Voice Come From? Is an important question to ask yourself if you struggle with self-love and your inner critic.
At our counseling center, we deal regularly with trauma triggers in relationships. Relationship coach Kyle Benson defines a trigger as “an issue that is sensitive to our heart—typically something from our childhood or a previous relationship.” Another way I like to define this concept is as a trauma response. Many times we learned these responses to help us cope with traumatic situations. The truth is, these coping strategies worked when we were young and even helped us survive trauma, but are now hindering our ability to have a healthy relationship. Triggers create relational landmines. These landmines grow from unprocessed and unhealed wounds in our story and create tender places within us that can cause us to overact or project unfairly onto our partners. It’s vital that we learn how to navigate these dangerous fields within ourselves and with our partner. These landmines are common in relationships, and depending on your emotional health or your partner’s, they can be plentiful or few, but they can wreak havoc if not tended to properly.
Coping skills for worries, racing, and intrusive thoughts are strategies kids and teens use to handle persistent negative thoughts or memories in their minds. They rely on these skills to take charge of their thoughts and feelings, especially during exams, social situations, or when dealing with personal challenges to feel more in control. The Coping Skills For Worries, Racing, And Intrusive Thoughts handout defines three types of negative thoughts, explains where they come from, and shows a list of coping skills. Some of the strategies found on the handout include exercising, meditating, and spending time with a pet or taking a walk in nature. Using these coping skills helps kids and teens take charge of their thinking and keep their emotional well-being intact when facing worries. For example, if they listen to music when feeling overwhelmed, they can distract themselves healthily, which allows them to take a break from wrong thoughts and feel calmer. To further take charge of their thoughts, kids and teens can consider using the Letting Go of Anxious Thoughts worksheet. This worksheet prompts them to write down their worries in balloons and release them while practicing positive self-talk. *This item is an instant digital download. A link to download your files will be emailed to you once payment is confirmed. Want more resources like this? Check out our full catalog of coping skills worksheets and handouts. References: Compas, B. E. (2009). Coping, regulation, and development during childhood and adolescence. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2009(124), 87-99. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.245 Compas, B. E., Connor-Smith, J. K., Saltzman, H., Thomsen, A. H., & Wadsworth, M. E. (2001). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence: Problems, progress, and potential in theory and research. Psychological Bulletin, 127(1), 87-127. https://doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.127.1.87
“The best way out is always through.”~ Robert Frost Have you ever had the feeling that a comment has been passed or a statement has been said which triggers you? It might be a simple statement or c…
This article covers what emotional triggers are, what being triggered feels like, why we have them, and how to manage them
