New
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Lesson 3 of 5
  • Year 10

Anxiety and OCD

I can describe what anxiety and OCD are, their common symptoms, and explain how to support someone and seek help.

Lesson 3 of 5
New
New
  • Year 10

Anxiety and OCD

I can describe what anxiety and OCD are, their common symptoms, and explain how to support someone and seek help.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Most people experience anxiety at stressful times, but some people may experience persistent or excessive anxiety.
  2. Anxiety can affect physical, psychological and social wellbeing.
  3. Everyone can experience obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviours at times but OCD can have a big impact on your life.
  4. Self-care and support from family, friends and professionals, can help manage anxiety and OCD.

Keywords

  • Anxiety - a state of unease, worry or nervousness about uncertain outcomes, often accompanied by physical sensations

  • Symptom - a physical or mental feature that indicates a condition or disease

  • Self-care - the practice of taking action to preserve or improve a person's own health

  • Panic attack - a sudden and debilitating episode of fear and anxiety, often accompanied by physical symptoms, such as increased sweating and hyperventilating

  • OCD - stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; a mental health condition that features obsessive thoughts and compulsions

Common misconception

If you have OCD, it means you're just a really tidy person.

OCD is not about being tidy or liking things a certain way. It's about having no control over negative, intrusive, distressing thoughts which lead to compulsive behaviour(s).


To help you plan your year 10 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Anxiety and OCD, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Before teaching this lesson, you should speak to your RSHE lead or DSL. You could also signpost to pastoral support in your setting.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following are common symptoms of stress?

a sense of peace and feeling calm
Correct answer: trouble sleeping and irritability
feeling bored and uninterested
slow heart rate and calm breathing

Q2.
When you are in a stressful situation, your body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and to help you react quickly and stay alert.

Correct Answer: cortisol

Q3.
Which statement is not correct?

Stress can affect your body, emotions and behaviour.
A small amount of stress can sometimes help you stay focused.
Correct answer: Ignoring stress will always make it go away on its own.
Exercise, sleep and talking to someone can help reduce stress.

Q4.
Match the words to the correct definitions.

Correct Answer:stress,your body and mind's response to challenging situations

your body and mind's response to challenging situations

Correct Answer:relaxation techniques,methods used to reduce stress/anxiety by creating a feeling of calm

methods used to reduce stress/anxiety by creating a feeling of calm

Correct Answer:time management,the process of organising and planning how to divide your time

the process of organising and planning how to divide your time

Correct Answer:action plan,a step-by-step guide to help manage time and reduce stress

a step-by-step guide to help manage time and reduce stress

Q5.
Depression is ...

feeling sad for a few hours after a bad day.
Correct answer: a long-lasting mental health condition that affects daily life.
when someone wants attention and acts unhappy.
a type of anger that people feel when things don’t go their way.

Q6.
Symptoms of stress can be physical, emotional and ...

Correct Answer: behavioural

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words to the correct definitions.

Correct Answer:anxiety,a state of unease, worry or nervousness about uncertain outcomes

a state of unease, worry or nervousness about uncertain outcomes

Correct Answer:panic attack,a sudden and debilitating episode of fear and anxiety

a sudden and debilitating episode of fear and anxiety

Correct Answer:self-care,taking action to preserve or improve a person's own health

taking action to preserve or improve a person's own health

Correct Answer:symptom,a physical or mental feature that indicates a condition or disease

a physical or mental feature that indicates a condition or disease

Q2.
Most people experience anxiety in challenging situations; it is a natural response to ...

Correct Answer: stress

Q3.
Which of the following is a common symptom of OCD?

being messy and unconcerned with organisation
enjoying change and being flexible with routines
avoiding all of your routines to reduce stress
Correct answer: repeatedly checking things when you know they’re fine

Q4.
What is a common impact of living with OCD?

It helps people become more social and relaxed.
It improves focus at school and strengthens relationships.
It only affects people during stressful times, like exams.
Correct answer: It can be time-consuming and emotionally exhausting.

Q5.
Physical symptoms of a panic attack might include ...

Correct answer: a racing heart.
steady breathing.
Correct answer: dizziness.
steady balance.
feeling in control.

Q6.
Which of these statements are correct?

OCD is just about being tidy.
Everyone has OCD sometimes e.g., when they want things clean.
Correct answer: OCD is a relatively common mental health condition.
People with OCD can just stop their habits if they really try.
Correct answer: OCD involves unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviours.