Youthlife have recently had 6 young participants ages 11-13 participate in a 4 week ‘Managing anxiety’ workshop.

Anxiety is not always an underlying condition; it can affect anyone at one time or another; spiked by circumstance in work, school, relationships or an event. It can often manifest in physical and emotional symptoms. Anxiety and stress can be healthy and normal but, many people struggle with high levels of anxiety and stress, thinking errors and unhelpful thinking styles.

Workshop participants had been through Youthlife’s counselling service and each struggled with over-thinking, negative thinking or high levels of anxiety. Together they learned about the brain; natures’ fight or flight response and how it can activate at the wrong time! The group explored how to identify and manage their emotions and levels of anxiety to help improve quality of life and relationships.

Young people practiced gratitude, breathing techniques and mindfulness. They explored situations, relationships and events that often cause stress and learned techniques to help manage better in the future.

Thank you to Youthlife counsellors Paula and Agnes for the development and delivery of this fabulous workshop!