Drexal is an alien living far away in the galaxy, but he feels sad, anxious, and worried sometimes just like we do here on earth. His computer sidekick helps him work through his anxious thoughts, and today his computer tells him how to manage anxiety with a health scan. Watch the episode in our video above!
Drexal’s computer sidekick has created something that may help him with anxiety. It’s a health scan to help Drexal figure out his anxious feelings.
Drexal can check in with himself and see if he’s feeling like he’s in Green Mode (feeling relaxed and able to manage anxiety), Yellow Mode (feeling anxious or worried but still able to manage it), or Red mode (feeling very anxious and unable to focus on anything else).
The scan tells Drexal how anxious he is—and that when he gets super anxious, he should stop and focus on calming his breathing and body.
Anxiety prevents Drexal from doing things he wants to do, but by recognizing how anxious he feels, Drexal can help himself stay calm when things get bad. Of course, he can also always reach out and talk to someone, too!
Helping Youth Cope with Anxiety
What should you do if you’re in Red Mode? Stop what you’re doing to focus on breathing and calming yourself. That way, you can get back to Green Mode where you feel good.
You are not alone in your struggle. Remember that it’s normal to feel anxiety, especially as the world around us changes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from someone you trust or find a friend to talk to about your feelings, like Drexal the Alien does.
This episode of Galaxy Brain shows how Drexal and his sidekick have worked through some of his anxieties and how Drexal can continue to analyze his own feelings. Galaxy Brain is an animated series for pre-teens and teens on topics like social anxiety, health anxiety, contamination OCD, and more. It gives children and adults ways to recognize and deal with their anxiety. Our Caretoons normalize anxiety in an entertaining way and encourage youth and children to seek help from a trusted parent, teacher, or friend.
Anxiety Canada created Galaxy Brain to help parents, educators, or healthcare providers start a dialogue with youth and help them understand that they aren’t alone.
Many youths don’t realize that what they are feeling is anxiety. You can help them name their fears and feelings, recognize symptoms, and understand the impact anxious thoughts have on their lives.
Share our videos with people you know and see if any of them relate to Drexal. It’s a fun way to share and may help you talk about how you feel.
Keep the conversation going! Let kids know that it’s okay to talk about their feelings and give them a safe space to express themselves. Open up and discuss your own anxieties so they know they’re not alone.
► Try a health scan. Which mode are you in right now: Green, Yellow, or Red?
► If you’re in Red Mode, how can you calm yourself?
► When you’re feeling anxious or sad, who is someone you trust that you can talk to about your feelings?
See all our Caretoons episodes featuring fun characters dealing with their anxiety.
More Resources
Help children and teens with anxiety using Anxiety Canada’s helpful links below. We offer useful articles for teens, parents, educators, and healthcare providers.
Where to Start with an Anxious Child – Learn about symptoms and how to manage them in a healthy way
ABC’s of Anxiety – Read about the basics of anxiety in your child or teen and the 6 ways it affects their life
Educator Resources – Take a look at our resources for educators on the Anxiety Canada website
Caretoons, the animated series, was created with the support of British Columbia’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions by Point Blank Creative and Anxiety Canada. Voiced by acclaimed comedian and author, Charlie Demers.