anxiety Archives - LindsayBraman.com

Title reads, “Spectrum of anxiety coping Underneath, a spectrum is drawn. There is red on the extreme ends of the spectrum with labels. The red spectrum end on the left has text underneath that says, “Shaping life to avoid triggers.” The other red spectrum, on the right, has text underneath that says, “Self-harm via over-exposure.” Next to the red ends of the spectrum are orange and yellow blocks, with a green block in the middle labeled, “Growth Zone,” where the dial is.

Spectrum of Anxiety Coping Visual Illustration

Everyone has a different “default” way of coping with anxiety – and many of us will experience a shift from one extreme of the spectrum to the other at least once during our lifetime. While our culture praises the “brave” approach and shames the avoidant, the extremes of both approaches are equally harmful ways of avoiding the discomfort of being present to the tension of the middle ground. In this middle space – where we feel our fear but choose to tolerate some discomfort in order to grow – we inhabit our bodies, we have self-compassion for ourselves, and let ourselves experience the emotions inherent in doing things that are really, really hard.

A playfully handdrawn worksheet with journaling prompts about generalized anxiety.

Generalized Anxiety Art: A Doodle About Being Anxious for No Reason

This download includes a worksheet on generalized anxiety. The 1-page black-and-white worksheet is designed to flip brains from “therapy homework” mode into “interactive activity book” mode, which may help folks develop awareness, mindfulness, and self-soothing skills with less of the stigma or avoidance that clinical resources sometimes prompt.