Helping Anxious Adolescents


I often ask the adolescents that I work with, "What top tips would you say, help with anxiety?" the firm favourite is using the Calm Anchor, a calming and regulating technique.

What is an Anchor?
  • An Anchor is a way of changing or altering a state or emotion, an example being, when we hear music, or see a particular colour. It can be a trigger to a change in emotion.
  • An Anchor can be imagined or real.
  • An Anchor can help when we want to change a negative state to a more helpful one.
Safe Place Anchor.
  • Remember or imagine a place you feel calm and safe.
  • As you remember your safe place take some deep breaths in and out.
  • Remember or imagine it as if you are there experiencing it through your eyes.
  • Use all of your senses to look around you and notice what you see, notice the colours, the sounds, textures, smells and how calm you feel.
  • Make the image as big and bold as you want and when you notice yourself feeling really calm and safe, put your finger and thumb together of your right or left hand and say the word, "Calm,"
  • Repeat this every day for 5 minutes.
  • Show friends how to use a calm anchor, it might help them too.
If you or your adolescent are suffering from anxiety and think you may benefit from some Counselling, Psychotherapy, or Coaching, please get in touch at www.impactnorthwest.co.uk

Emma Appleby is the Clinical Director of Impact North West, providing:- Counselling, Psychotherapy and Coaching to Adults and Adolescents.




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