Sometimes things in life can feel hard or difficult.

Sometimes you may feel anxious.

Anxious is feeling scared, stressed or worried.

There are things you can do to help you feel calm.

Try this exercise and see if it helps you.

Follow the steps on the next page.

First, stop and be still.

Once you know the exercise you can close your eyes if it helps.

Take slow breaths

• in and
• out.

Think about a boat on the sea.

When you are anxious it can feel like a boat in a storm.

You may have lots of feelings like big waves crashing around the boat.

You may feel scared.

The anchor exercise

To stop and be still a boat needs to have the anchor down.

Think of throwing the anchor out of the boat.

Think about the anchor going down into the deep blue sea.

The anchor goes down into the sand below.

It stops the boat from moving.

The boat is safe now.

Think of feeling safe and still like the boat.

Think of the storm clouds moving away.

The sky is clear and the sun is coming out.

Think of the waves being flat and gentle.

The sea is calm.

Think of feeling calm like the sea