Topic
Anxiety
Plain-English handouts and worksheets about anxiety, panic, worry, and the body’s stress response.
Reviewed by Grounded Scribe ·
Each psychoeducation page is checked against current Australian source authorities (RANZCP, APS, AASW, OT Australia, Beyond Blue, Headspace, Black Dog Institute) and updated at least annually.
Anxiety is the body’s alarm system doing its job — sometimes louder, longer, or more often than is helpful. The handouts below explain what is happening in the nervous system, give clients language for the parts of anxiety they can name, and offer in-the-moment techniques (grounding, breathing) plus longer-term skills (thought records, window of tolerance).
Handouts in this topic
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
A simple sensory-based technique for managing anxiety and staying present.
Breathing Exercises for Calm
Simple breathing techniques to activate your relaxation response.
Thought Record Worksheet
A CBT tool for identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts.
The CBT Triangle: Thoughts, Feelings, Behaviors
Learn how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected and how changing one can affect the others.
Window of Tolerance
Understanding your optimal zone for processing emotions and stress, and what happens when we move outside it.
Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn: Stress Responses
Understanding the four main ways our nervous system responds to perceived threats.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between anxiety and stress?+
Stress is usually a response to a specific external pressure that resolves when the pressure eases. Anxiety often persists in the absence of an immediate threat and can include physical symptoms (racing heart, shallow breathing, restlessness) and cognitive patterns (catastrophising, rumination). Both share the same underlying nervous-system circuitry.
What can clients do in the moment when anxiety spikes?+
Sensory grounding (5-4-3-2-1) and slow controlled breathing (especially long exhale techniques like 4-7-8 or box breathing) are the most universally accessible options. They work because they pair attention with parasympathetic activation. The handouts in this topic cover both.
Are these handouts a substitute for treatment?+
No. They are general psychoeducation written for clients, not treatment plans, diagnostic tools, or a substitute for individual care. If a client is in crisis, contact Lifeline 13 11 14 or, in an emergency, 000.