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  • General

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    University of Essex Wellbeing Worksheets

    This website contains a range of self-help materials which can support you to overcome feelings of depression or anxiety. These materials have been created by trained mental health professionals within the University of Essex teaching team, and are designed to be used in conjunction with support from a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (more details on how to access this support is below). 

    It is natural for all of us to feel low or anxious at some point in our lives. Often these feelings will be short lived and soon disappear on their own. However if you notice that the low mood, anxiety, or stress is not going away then it may be a good idea to seek support from a trained professional. You can speak to your GP or visit www.nhs.uk to find your local psychological therapies service. If you need urgent support, or there is a risk of harm to yourself or anyone else, you should call 999.

  • How I'm Feeling

    Changes in our mood can affect how we feel physically, what we do, and what we think. These three areas are also linked, which means that a change in one can cause changes in the other two.

  • Behavioural Activation for Depression

    When we are depressed we tend to want to do less. This may be because we feel tired or lack motivation, or maybe because we want to avoid being around other people. The problem is that through doing less we lose our routine, spend more time on our own, and do less of the things we used to enjoy. All of these factors can lead us to feel even worse. 

    Behavioural Activation is an evidence-based treatment for depression which works by supporting you to gradually increase the amount you are doing, focusing on re-establishing routines and promoting pleasurable activities. 

    • What am I Not Doing? File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      This worksheet will help you reflect on the activities you are not currently doing due to how you are feeling.

      558.1 KB
    • How Difficult Are My Activities? File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      Once you have considered what activities you are not currently doing, the next helpful task is to consider how difficult it would be to start doing these activites again.

      536.7 KB
    • My Activity Diary File

      This diary can be used to record your day to day activity, and plan future activities.

      546.6 KB

  • Thought Challenging for Depression

    We all have negative thoughts throughout our lives, and when we feel low or depressed it is natural to spend more time focussing on them. However, focussing on these negative thoughts, and believing that they are true, can keep your depression going. Thought Challenging is a technique which can help improve your mood by challenging these negative thoughts and looking for more balanced alternatives.

    • My Thought Diary pt.1 File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      This diary can be used to record your negative thoughts. 

      540.8 KB
    • My Evidence Worksheet File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      Once you have identified your negative thoughts, you can use this worksheet to support you to explore the evidence for and against them.

      539.3 KB
    • My Thought Diary pt.2 File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      This final thought diary can be used to support you with reconsidering your negative thoughts. In light of the evidence for and against the thought, is there a more realistic, or balanced, alternative? 

      583.6 KB

  • Graded Exposure for Phobias

    When something makes us feel anxious, our first instinct is to avoid it. In the short-term this may make us feel safe, however in the long term this makes us feel more anxious about the object or sitaution that we are avoiding. Graded Exposure is a treatment which helps reduce this anxiety by gradually exposing you to the thing or situation that you are scared of. 

    • My Exposure Hierarchy File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      This worksheet can help you break down the object or situation that you are scared of into smaller, more managable exposure tasks. 

      558.1 KB
    • My Exposure Diary File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      Once you have used the exposure hierarchy to break down your feared object or situation, you can use this worksheet to help you plan and record exposure tasks. 

      564.9 KB

  • Managing Our Worries

    It is completely normal to worry about things that are outside of our control. However, when the worrying starts having an impact on our day to day lives, changing how we feel or stopping us from doing things we want, then it is a good idea to do something about this. Worry Management is a treatment which works by increasing the control that we have over our worries and when in the day we spend time worrying. 

    • My Worry Diary File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      This worksheet can be used to record the worries that you are having day to day. 

      595.1 KB
    • My Worry toolkit File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      This worksheet will help you to work out if the worries you are having are hypothetical or practical. 

      99.8 KB
    • My Problem Solving Worksheet File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      This worksheet can help you to solve the practical problems that you are worried about. 

      638.8 KB

  • Medication

    If you have been prescribed medication for your mood by your GP, then it is important to stick to the prescribed instructions as closely as possible. This will increase the chance of you seeing a benefit from the medication. If you have concerns about your medication, or any side effects, you should speak to your GP as soon as possible. 

    • My Medication Routine File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      This worksheet will help you to record your medication taking routine, and explore anything that might be getting in the way of you taking it as your GP prescribed. 

      557.4 KB

  • Sleep Issues

    It is completely normal to experience periods in our lives when our sleep is good, and periods when it is not so good. However, long term sleep issues can lead to mental health issues, or make existing mental health issues worse. 

    • My Sleep Diary File
      Students must
      Mark as done

      This diary can be used to record your sleep each night for a week. This can help you and your practitioner or GP to identify any potential sleep issues, and what might be causing them. 

      562.2 KB