My Anxiety Toolkit Cards
Ten pocket-sized strategies for the moment worry starts talking, with room to plan and track each one
My Anxiety Toolkit Cards
Ten pocket-sized strategies for the moment worry starts talking, with room to plan and track each one
My Anxiety Toolkit Cards
Ten pocket-sized strategies for the moment worry starts talking, with room to plan and track each one
Worry has a habit of showing up at bad times: in the car before a big day, in the middle of class, at 2 a.m. Each row below holds one thing you can do right then, written short enough to read in a few seconds. The set works for older kids, teens and adults.
Try every strategy once on a calm day so it feels familiar before you need it, then keep the ones that help and set the rest aside. To park worries on your phone, the free Worry Time tool keeps a list, sets a daily worry window and times the session. To practice grounding with your senses, try the guided 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise.
A worry that keeps you from sleep, school, work or people you care about is worth talking through with a professional.
- On the line at the top, write the worry that shows up most often.
- In the middle column, write when each strategy could help you: before a test, in the car, at bedtime, before a hard conversation.
- After you use one for real, write how it went in the last column. A few words is enough: helped a lot, helped a little, not for me.
- In the boxes at the bottom, write your own best talk-back line and the three strategies you will carry with you.
- Print the sheet and cut the rows apart to carry as cards. Keep three or four in a wallet, backpack pocket or phone case, and hold the rest together with a binder ring or rubber band.
- Bring the sheet to counseling and mark the ones you used.
The worry that shows up most for me
| Strategy | When It Could Help Me | I Tried It: How Did It Go? |
|---|---|---|
| Name the worry: start with "I'm having the worry that..." and finish the sentence | ||
| Park it for later: write it down and save it for a 15-minute worry time | ||
| Long out-breath: in through your nose for four, out slowly for six to eight, five rounds | ||
| Check the facts: what's the proof, what happened last time, how would I cope? | ||
| Find the next small step: one action you could take within a day | ||
| Ground with your senses: 5 things you see, 4 hear, 3 touch, 2 smell, 1 taste | ||
| Move your body: walk a lap, do ten wall push-ups, or press your palms hard | ||
| Take a brave step: do a little of something the worry keeps you from | ||
| Talk back to it: answer the worry the way a calm friend would | ||
| Tell someone: share the worry with one person you trust, even in one sentence |
My best talk-back line (for example, "That could happen, and it isn't the most likely thing.")
The three strategies I'll carry with me
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See also
Common Questions
What is the My Anxiety Toolkit Cards worksheet?
Worry has a habit of showing up at bad times: in the car before a big day, in the middle of class, at 2 a.m. Each row below holds one thing you can do right then, written short enough to read in a few seconds. The set works for older kids, teens and adults.
How do I use the My Anxiety Toolkit Cards worksheet?
Fill out this worksheet digitally or print it for use in session. You can save your progress with a Pro account. Take your time with each column — there are no right or wrong answers.
Is the My Anxiety Toolkit Cards worksheet free?
Yes. Like every worksheet on Therapy Resource, it is free to read, print, and download as a PDF, no account required. A Pro subscription adds online filling with saved progress, practice-branded PDF exports, and secure client sharing.
Can I fill out the My Anxiety Toolkit Cards worksheet online?
Yes. Switch the worksheet to "Type on Screen" mode to fill in the fields directly in your browser before printing. Pro members can also save their entries across sessions and export the completed worksheet as a branded PDF.
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