Anxiety Workbook

How to Use This Workbook

This workbook can help clients recognize anxious patterns and develop calming routines. Work through each section at a comfortable pace, using the reflection questions and exercises to build self-awareness and reduce anxiety in day-to-day life.

Who This Workbook Is For

Designed for adults and teens who struggle with anxiety in daily situations, this resource is ideal for anyone seeking practical, gentle coping strategies and greater self-compassion. It’s also suitable for mental health professionals and educators supporting clients or students.

Expected Outcomes

• Clear understanding of anxiety symptoms and triggers
• Improved awareness of thought patterns and coping skills
• More calm, control, and confidence in everyday life
• Less self-criticism and greater self-compassion

Self-Awareness

Understanding The Trigger

Anxiety often has a starting point-a trigger that sets those feelings in motion. This trigger could be a thought, a memory, a physical sensation, or something that happens around you. Reflecting on a recent anxious moment and identifying what sparked it can give you valuable insight.

For example: hearing sudden loud noises, scrolling through upsetting news, getting unexpected feedback, remembering a past mistake, or even skipping a meal.

Think about a few recent times you felt anxious. What were some common triggers in those moments? List them below.

Cognitive Distortions

Common Types Of Unhelpful Thinking

Everyone sometimes experiences unhelpful ways of thinking that can skew how we see ourselves, others, and the world. These habitual mental patterns, known as cognitive distortions, can shape our emotions and actions in misleading ways. While it's common to have these thoughts from time to time, they may cause difficulties if they happen often.

Here are some of the most common types of cognitive distortions. Read more in the Cognitive Distortions Cheat Sheet on the Therapist Hub.

All-or-Nothing Thinking: Viewing situations in extremes, with no middle ground; things are either all good or all bad.

Should Statements: Rigidly thinking in terms of how you or others "should" or "must" behave, leading to guilt or frustration when reality doesn't match expectations.

Mental Filtering: Focusing solely on the negative aspects of a situation and ignoring the positives.

Jumping to Conclusions: Making negative interpretations without actual evidence.

Overgeneralization: Drawing broad conclusions from a single event or piece of evidence, often expecting repeated failure based on one setback.

Emotional Reasoning: Believing that because you feel a certain way, it must be true (e.g., "I feel anxious, so something bad must be happening").

Learning to reframe your thoughts before they spiral can be a powerful way to calm yourself and manage anxiety. This isn't about forcing yourself to be positive-it's about bringing more balance and logic to your thinking. Anxiety often pushes us toward worst-case scenarios or harsh self-judgment, so practicing more realistic self-talk can really help.

Original thought:

"I embarrassed myself in that conversation-everyone must think I'm awkward."

Reframe:

"I felt awkward for a moment, but everyone has those times. Most people probably didn't even notice, and it doesn't define who I am."

Original thought:

"If I don't get this perfect, everything will fall apart."

Reframe:

learning."

"I want to do my best, but it's okay if things aren't perfect. I can handle whatever happens, and mistakes are part of

What are some of the common cognitive distortions you recognize in your thinking patterns? Write them below.

Can you identify any recurring thoughts that you could try to reframe? Write them below and consider how you might view them in a more balanced or compassionate way.

Anxiety & The Body

How Anxiety Affects Your Nervous System

Sometimes, anxiety can linger even after you've tried to reframe your thoughts. This doesn't mean that reframing isn't useful-practicing it regularly can be very effective over time—but it often signals that your nervous system is too activated to be soothed by logic alone.

You might notice that, even when you know your anxious thoughts aren't entirely logical, your body still feels on edge.

That's because anxiety triggers the sympathetic nervous system-the part of us wired to detect threats and prepare for action.

When this happens, your body needs reassurance as much as your mind. Below are some simple ways to help regulate your nervous system. Find more information in the Vagus Nerve Stimulation worksheet on the Therapist Hub.

• Breathwork
• Yoga and meditation
• EFT tapping
• Aromatherapy
• Acupuncture
• Acupressure
• Reflexology
• Therapeutic massage
• Grounding techniques
  
  

  My Anxiety Journal

  Space For You To Reflect

  What were my anxious thoughts today? i.e. I'm not good enough, it's going to go wrong

  Can l identify a trigger?

  i.e. an event, an image, a conversation with somebody

  What did I feel was at threat? i.e. my health, my safety, my social status

  Did I recognise any unhelpful thinking styles? i.e. catasphrosing, all or nothing thinking

  
  

  My Anxiety Journal

  Reflecting On My Strategies

  How I re-phrased my thoughts:

  i.e. "I don't have to do things perfectly, I can find a middle ground"

  I practiced regulating my nervous system by:

  i.e. I practiced a breathing exercise, I tried a tapping technique

  Other ways I supported myself:

  i.e. talking to a friend, drinking less caffeine, taking breaks