What To Do When You Worry Too Much

For my very first Friday Find, I wanted to share a resource that I have absolutely fallen in love with.  The book is called What to Do When You Worry Too Much:  A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Dawn Huebner  I ordered this book to use with a small group, but I have found myself using it in individual counseling as well.  The book has several chapters that go through the different aspects of anxiety and has some really useful strategies.    I love how it explains anxiety in a kid-friendly way, and helps kids recognize anxious feelings.  The best part is that it is an activity book, so it makes it really easy to plan your sessions. 

I love the chapter about the worry bully!  Kids get to draw a picture of what they think their worry bully looks like.  Next we talk about telling the bully to "Buzz off!" or "get out of here!"  We even practice flicking the bully off of our shoulder and stomping on it.  I have a student who was in one of my worry groups and shows me how he flicks his worry bully off of his shoulder everytime I see him in the hallway.  I love it!

When I use this activity in small groups or individual counseling, I make copies of the "activity pages" and put them in a folded big piece of construction paper to create a worry book.  On the first day of our group, we go over the guidelines of the group and do the other activities I do when starting a new group, and then the kids get to decorate the cover of their worry book.  Then, as our group progressing, we go through the book and the kids get to do the activities in their own worry book.  The best part is, they can take it home at the end of our group and show it to their parents, look at it to remind themselves of strategies, etc.

I hope you will enjoy this resource as much as I have.  Also, be sure to check out more of Dawn Huebner's "What to do" books.