Teach Kids to Recognize Anxious Feelings with This Anxiety Poster

Unfortunately, the word “anxiety” is creeping into general conversation more and more these days. Even more alarming is the fact that the number of children being diagnosed with anxiety and depression is also on the rise. 

In light of this, it is vital that our children understand what anxiety actually is; how it affects our minds, bodies, and actions; and how it can be managed with the right strategies. 

So… what is anxiety? To put it simply, anxiety is a feeling we experience when we think something bad could happen.

Anxiety can affect our thoughts. It can make us focus on the “what-ifs” – all the things that could go wrong in a particular situation.

Anxiety can affect our bodies. It can make our heart pump faster, make our breathing speed up, make our muscles tight, or give us stomachaches.

Anxiety can affect our actions. It can make us choose to avoid something, or we might make a bad behavior choice due to our anxious feelings.

Suggested Strategies Kids Can Use to Manage Childhood Anxiety

The good news is that there are strategies our students can use to manage anxious feelings when they arise. These strategies can help control our anxious thoughts and actions and to decrease the physical effects that anxiety has on our bodies. Some of these strategies include:

• Breathing slowly and deeply
• Thinking about a happy place
• Talking about your feelings
• Using positive self-talk

How to Make the Most of Your Anxiety Poster

This poster has been created by a team of dedicated teachers to support social-emotional learning in your classroom. You may wish to use it in the following ways:

1. Print the color version of the poster on tabloid paper and display it in your classroom as a reminder of what anxiety is and how it can be managed.
2. Print the black and white version of the poster on letter paper and provide to students as a coloring activity.
3. Use the poster as a stimulus for a group discussion. Ask the students to explore what situations might make them anxious and what they might do to manage these feelings.

Before You Download

This resource prints as a PDF. Please use the dropdown menu to choose from the full-color and black and white versions.

Looking for more great resources to support your students’ social-emotional learning? We have you covered!