Anxiety can sometimes feel like an endless loop, which makes it hard to break free from. Some people may think they have no control over anxiety or that it will never go away. The truth is, while anxiety can be overwhelming, its cycle can be interrupted with the right strategies.
The How to Break the Cycle of Anxiety poster serves as a simple yet effective guide to managing anxious thoughts. It features a wheel that breaks down the cycle of anxiety into clear steps and shows how certain actions can disrupt patterns of worry and avoidance. These include facing fears, handling temporary discomfort, using coping skills, and building confidence over time.
Having this displayed can remind young people that anxiety doesn’t have to control their lives and that small, consistent actions can make a difference. A great way to put this into practice is by introducing gradual exposure challenges, or a courage ladder where kids and teens take small steps toward facing fears instead of avoiding them all at once.
For additional support, adults can help by creating a calm and understanding space where young people feel safe to express their worries. They can also encourage the use of independent coping strategies, such as deep breathing, journaling, or calming techniques, to help manage anxious thoughts when they are alone.
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References:
- BUĞA, A., & KAYA, İ. (2022). The role of cognitive distortions related academic achievement in predicting the depression, stress and anxiety levels of adolescents. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 9(1), 103-114. https://doi.org/10.33200/ijcer.1000210
- Friedman, H. H. (2023). The thinking traps that ruin your happiness: How to recognize, challenge, and overcome cognitive distortions. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4670101
- Maric, M., Heyne, D. A., Van Widenfelt, B. M., & Westenberg, P. M. (2010). Distorted cognitive processing in youth: The structure of negative cognitive errors and their associations with anxiety. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 35(1), 11-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-009-9285-3
- Zaiden, F., Mahfar, M., Senin, A. A., & Fakhruddin, F. M. (2023). Global research pattern of cognitive distortion: A bibliometric analysis. Sage Open, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231219658
