The Huge Bag of Worries

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The simple-sounding idea of putting a written worry in a worry box (containment) comes from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is widely regarded as the most effective way to manage anxiety in both children and adults. Before learning to make your own worry box, let’s learn more about containment and why it is so effective. Containment To help your child open up and discuss their emotions, you can start by asking your children how they are feeling; are they angry, sad, happy, scared or worried? You can then identify what might be making them feel this way. Reinforce the idea that it’s okay for your child to feel like this and that we all experience different emotions. By validating their feelings, it helps to build trust between you and your child. Place a dab of glue above the open mouth in the center of the box for each eyeball. Place the eyeballs on the box. What do you think about the worry jar technique? In my experience, anxious kids really get into this technique and find it very helpful. Will you try it? Please let me know how it goes. Should you look at what your child writes? Technically, no. The box is meant to be a safe place where the child can write down anything and not have it “discovered.” Instead, you could set up a worry time when your child can discuss her worries with you. Worry time is also a form of containment because it restricts the time the child can dwell on her worries with an adult. You can set up the time specially for the child, say from 4:00 to 4:20 every afternoon. If at 4:20 your child is not through discussing her worries, ask her to write down the worries and put them into the worry box. Tell her that she can take them out to discuss tomorrow at the same time.

Using the box and writing down your problems on paper also helps to turn something intangible into something they can actually touch, work with, and control. In this article I will guide you through the process of creating a worry box with your child, and share how this coping mechanism can significantly reduce anxiety levels. As you explore this powerful tool, your child will learn that learning to manage their your worries effectively leads to increased wellbeing and a healthier state of mind. What is a Worry Box?

What is a Worry Box?

With your pencil, trace the bottom of the paint tube to make two big pupils. Cut out the eyeballs and cut out the pupils. Set aside. Overall, you are teaching your child that they can be in charge of their worried thoughts, rather than the worried thoughts controlling them. Related Articles Worry boxes are containers into which children can post their anxious thoughts. Children can find them soothing because they: It will allow you to talk about emotions (worries, frustrations, anger, insecurities) while you engage in a fun activity. Create a worry monster (optional):If you’d like to make the worry box more engaging for your child, consider turning the tissue box opening into the “mouth” of a worry monster. Use your art supplies to create a monster face. Attach googly eyes, triangular pieces of card for teeth, or even a pipe cleaner antenna with a sign reading “FEED ME WORRIES!”

If you’re feeling crafty, making a Worry Worm is a great way to help your children open up about their emotions. As parents we need to recognise when they have taken on an adult worry. We need to remove this burden from them. For example, we can say: “this is something that I am dealing with, so you don’t have to”. You can also use a jar, an envelope, or any container that serves the same purpose of storing worries away. The Huge Bag of Worries is one of my favourite books. It is amazing for helping your child with their fears and worries. As a parent, you also need to be a skilled listener. Listen carefully to your child’s worries and don’t dismiss them or belittle them (e.g. “don’t be silly”).Your monster could be any color and have anything added to it. There are endless ideas on the web if you look under “monsters made out of tissue boxes” or just DIY monsters. Let this monster be your child’s creation. The important concept is to have a mouth or a slot where your child can insert a paper with a written or drawn worry. How to use a worry box Place a dab of glue on the top of the box. Place one of the curled pipe cleaners on top. Continue to make a cluster of curled pipe cleaner “hair” on top of the box. The worries are now manageable, safely held and will not take over all the day and night. They are contained in both time (worry time) and space (worry box). Worry Box: In this post, you will learn what a worry box is, why it works, and what the best fit could be for your child. You will also learn how to make a cute Worry Monster Box, a fun activity for home or the classroom. What is a Worry Box?

Using your worry box:The next time your child feels worried or anxious, encourage them to write the worry down on a piece of paper and slip it into the worry box’s opening. It can take a couple of weeks to establish this as a habit, so persistence is key. To make a worry box, all you need is a container (this could be a box, jar, or even a small bag) that can be decorated or personalised in any way your child prefers. They write or draw their worries on pieces of paper and place them inside the worry box. Your child will learn to “externalise” their anxious thoughts and feelings. It also also offers an opportunity for problem-solving, discussion, validation and emotional exploration. We’ll share a tutorial for a fun monster worry box in the next section, but let’s be clear, this technique is equally effective with any box you may have lying around in the house. If you are looking for mindfulness crafts to do some work with your kids or students this can be a great project. Place them on the inside of the box on the top and repeat for the bottom. You’ll want enough space to have an “open” mouth, showing teeth.Aim to stay flexible, attentive and responsive to the needs of your child. Explore different alternatives, discuss their pros and cons, and work together to find the approach that best supports their emotional wellbeing. Summary

Now imagine that the mature dandelion seeds are worries. With the slightest provocation and without a container, worries can scatter everywhere. The worries can spread to bother a person at night, in school, at work and with friends — really, anywhere and anytime. If you were able to hold the worries in a container, they would feel manageable. You know you cannot contain mature dandelion seeds, but you can contain worries! How to contain worries One of the first things I tend to put in place with these children is a worry box. Worries can be put into the box at any time, but it’s important that before bed, your child reflects on anything that might be bothering them, and places these thoughts in the worry box. The worry is put aside until the next day. that are included. Therapist Aid has the exclusive right to reproduce their original works, prepare Thesymbolic nature of a worry box teaches children that their thoughts are just thoughts, enabling them to understand their emotions and gain control over them.This Worry Poster is a great one to use for your classroom displays or at home. It gives practical advice for children if they’re unsure how to approach their concerns. Knowledge is power. Understanding our worries means we can decide on an appropriate course of action, or simply share it with others and know that we are not alone. This is one of the key principles of cognitive behavioral therapy.