Coping with anxiety

What is anxiety and when does it become a problem?

You may have heard people talk about feeling anxious, worried, nervous or stressed. All these words mean something very similar and they all refer to that uncomfortable feeling we get when we are uncertain or afraid of something unknown.

It’s a very normal feeling and we all get it. We usually don’t feel anxious all the time, but when we do we can sometimes struggle to understand why we might be feeling that way.

Anxiety can feel overwhelming and difficult to understand. However, we know that it is made up of thoughts and feelings (physical and emotional) that make us behave in ways that can make the anxiety feel worse.

To help yourself, first you need to identify it is anxiety you are feeling, and accept that it’s OK not to feel OK. Lots of people are feeling anxious right now because of Covid-19 and the impact and changes it has had on our lives, our routines and our family and friends. You are not on your own.

For top tips to deal with anxiety, please watch video below:

Read more about coping with anxiety: Coping with anxiety.pdf [pdf] 224KB

Need more help?

If you or someone you are supporting is experiencing a mental health crisis and needs urgent support right now, please click here.

Further organisations offering support:

Childline (under-19s) trained counsellors provide confidential support on anything – no matter how small or large.
- Call: 0800 1111
- Chat with a counsellor online about whatever's worrying you
- Visit: www.childline.org.uk/get-support/1-2-1-counsellor-chat/
- Open: During the Coronavirus opening times are 9am – midnight

PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK (for under-35s) offers confidential support and practical advice.
- Call: 0800 068 4141
- Text: 07860 039 967
- Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
- Open: 9am – 10pm weekdays, 2pm – 10pm weekends and bank holidays

Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever’s getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal.
- Call: 116123 (free from any phone)
- Email: jo@samaritans.org (Sometimes writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you understand them. Email how you are feeling to 'jo' and a volunteer will respond)
- Open: 24-hours a day, 7-days a week

Watch

The following videos may also help to manage anxiety:

Struggle Switch - An ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) approach to anxiety

Progressive muscle relaxation – exercises that will help you to recognise the differences between feeling tense and at ease.

Anna Freud Centre gives tips to help manage anxiety for children and young people

Anna Freud Centre gives tips to help parent and carers manage anxiety

Learn about how CBT can help with anxiety in the STOPP video

Anxiety United has 5 Top Tips on how to reduce anxiety

Useful links

Useful tips for parents / carers to help manage their emotional wellbeing can be found here.

Further relaxation tips can be found here.
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy gives guidance around manging anxiety, click here.
Get Self Help website provides CBT self-help and therapy resources, including worksheets and information sheets and self-help mp3s, click here.
Anna Freud Centre has helpful videos for and resources to help children and young people click here.
Childline: check out their Calm Zone Tool Box click here.
What to do if you're worried when school is closed - Warwickshire County Council click here.

Apps

The apps below are useful tools to help support children and young people with anxiety. Most of these apps are availble to download from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Calm