Spotting Signs of Anxiety S2&3

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Spotting Signs of Anxiety

Keep the opening calm and reassuring. Explain that anxiety is something many people feel, and this lesson is about noticing signs and feelings, not judging them.

Our Learning Goal

I can identify 2 physical signs of anxiety and 2 emotional feelings of anxiety.

What words do you link with anxiety?

Use this as a calm prior-knowledge activation. Accept body words, feeling words, and everyday situations without judging answers.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, fear, or unease.

It can happen before something new, difficult, or stressful.

Anxiety can affect the body and feelings.

Use clear, simple language. Avoid describing anxiety as always bad; explain that it is a body and mind response that can feel uncomfortable.

Anxiety Can Show in the Body

• Sometimes we can see signs of anxiety

• These are called physical signs

• Physical signs happen in the body

Emphasise that people may show anxiety in different ways. The lesson focuses on two clear examples only, to keep the task manageable for entry level learners.

Physical Sign 1: Shaking

• Hands or legs may shake

• The body may feel unsteady

• This can happen when someone feels very worried

If helpful, model a gentle hand tremble gesture. Keep the example concrete and visible.

Physical Sign 2: Fast Heartbeat

• A person may feel their heart beating fast

• Their chest may feel tight or busy

• This is another physical sign of anxiety

Learners may say 'heart racing'. Accept this if they understand the meaning. Avoid overcomplicating with medical vocabulary.

Two Physical Signs

• Shaking

• Fast heartbeat

These are signs we may notice in the body.

Pause here to reinforce the exact two physical signs named in the lesson. Repetition will support memory and confidence.

Which is a physical sign of anxiety?

A

Shaking

B

Scared

C

Worried

D

Uneasy

Checks the body-versus-feelings distinction after the physical signs block. 'Scared' and 'worried' are emotional feelings from later in the lesson language field, and 'uneasy' comes from the definition of anxiety.

Complete the sentences

Anxiety can affect the body. Two physical signs in this lesson are shaking and fast heartbeat. These are signs we may notice in the body.

shaking

fast heartbeat

worried

scared

unease

Reinforces the exact two physical signs named on slides 4 to 6.

Anxiety Can Change Feelings

Anxiety does not only affect the body.

It can also affect how a person feels inside.

These are called emotional feelings.

Make the distinction clear: physical signs happen in the body; emotional feelings are the feelings a person notices inside themselves.

Emotional Feeling 1: Worried

• A person may feel worried

• They may think something bad could happen

• This is an emotional feeling of anxiety

Link this feeling back to everyday situations learners may know, such as meeting new people or starting something unfamiliar, without turning it into an activity.

Emotional Feeling 2: Scared

• A person may feel scared

• They may want to move away or hide

• This is another emotional feeling of anxiety

Some learners may use 'afraid' instead of 'scared'. Accept either, but keep the slide wording consistent as 'scared'.

Two Emotional Feelings

• Worried

• Scared

These are feelings a person may have when they are anxious.

Reinforce that feelings may not always be visible to others, but they are still real signs of anxiety for the person experiencing them.

Body Signs and Feelings

Physical signs

Emotional feelings

Worried

Scared

Shaking

Fast heartbeat

This slide is the key comparison point in the lesson. Use it to help learners sort examples into body signs versus feelings.

Which is an emotional feeling of anxiety?

A

Fast heartbeat

B

Shaking

C

Worried

D

Tight chest

Checks that learners can sort feelings from body signs after the emotions block.

Complete the sentences

Anxiety can change feelings as well as the body. In this lesson, two emotional feelings are worried and scared. These are feelings a person may notice inside.

worried

scared

shaking

fast heartbeat

uneasy

Echoes the wording from slides 7 to 10 and prepares learners for the comparison on slide 11.

Which group does fast heartbeat belong to?

1

Physical signs

2

Emotional feelings

Remember

Anxiety can show in the body and in feelings.

In this lesson, the 2 physical signs are shaking and fast heartbeat.

The 2 emotional feelings are worried and scared.

End with clear repetition of the four target items. Keep the wording steady and predictable.

What is one thing you learned today?

Invite short reflections. Good answers may mention one or more of the four target items: shaking, fast heartbeat, worried, scared.

What helped you understand this lesson best?

Reflection only. Students may say matching body signs and feelings, the repeated summary slide, or hearing the words more than once helped them.

Glossary

anxiety - a feeling of worry, fear, or unease

physical signs - changes we notice in the body

emotional feelings - feelings a person has inside

shaking - small body movements that are hard to control

fast heartbeat - when the heart beats quickly

worried - feeling uneasy or thinking something may go wrong

scared - feeling afraid