Activities
Doodle your Anxiety
Let’s express our anxiety through drawing and doodles
What are we going to do in this activity?
Sometimes, worries or anxious feelings can feel overwhelming, but drawing can be a great way to express them and let them out.
In this activity, you’ll use doodling to turn your anxious thoughts into shapes, patterns or pictures.
You don’t need to be an artist – this is about getting your feelings onto paper in a way that feels right for you.
Before we start
Gather your supplies
Grab some paper and any pens pencils, markers or brushes you like
Find a calm space
Sit somewhere comfortable where you can focus without distractions. Feel free to have silence or play music that calms you.
Lets get started
1
Let your hand move freely
Start by letting your pencil or pen move acros the page without thinking too much.
You can draw random lines, squiggles or shapes – just go with the flow
2
Turn your feelings into shapes
IF your anxiety feels big, draw large, bold shapes.
If it feels small or sharp, you might draw tiny, jagged lines.
There’s no wrong way – just express how you feel through your doodles
3
Add patterns and colours
Fill in the shapes with patterns like dots, swirls or stripes.
If you want, use different colours to math your feelings. You might feel that dark colours match stress, bright for relief – use colours that feel right to you.
4
Look at what you've created
Take a step back and look at what you’ve drawn
Does it show how you were feeling? Do any parts stand our to you?
If you feel like it, you can add more details or even turn it into something else, like a landscape, a creature or a story.
5
Reflect and Release
If the doodle still feels full of worry, you cna crumple it up, tear it up, or flip it over and draw something calming on the other side.
If it helped you express your feelings, keep it as a reminder that your emotions can be turned into something creative.
Take a deep breath and notice if you feel even a little lighter after your doodle drawing.
You did it !
Well done on expressing your emotions in such a creative, open way.
Challenge time
If you’ve completed this activity, and would like to challenge yourself further, you could create a Doodle Journal, where you doodle regularly and see how your doodles change over time.
You could also try music doodling, by playing relaxing or upbeat music and letting the sounds guide your drawings.
And after expressing your anxiety, you could draw something that brings you joy or comfort.
How did your doodle change from the start to the end of the activity?
Did putting your feelings on paper help you feel lighter or clearer?
If your doodle could talk, what would it say about how you were feeling?
Keep doodling if you found it helpful to release and express your feelings. Remember, there’s no wrong way to doodle, it’s all about what feels good to you.
Other activities to try
Body Scan
Take some time to relax and feel calm with a body scan. This activity helps you notice how your body feels, from your head to your toes.
Sensory Exploration
Let’s go on a sensory adventure! This activity is all about exploring different textures, smells, and sounds using items from around your home.
Self-Love
In this activity, you’ll take time to focus on what makes you great and practice showing yourself care and kindness.