Top Anxiety Management Techniques, 7-10

[sarahmichigan]

7. Turning it Off. Often when you're worrying, you don't just ruminate on one thing that's bothering you; instead your mind races from one topic to another, maybe touching on six or ten different things you're stressing about. The client who ruminates in this way has to find ways to quiet the mind so they can concentrate on the task at hand. One exercise is to close your eyes, breathe deep, and imagine an empty container. Visualize and name each worry, and put it into the container. When you've put all your issues in the container, put a lid on the container, and put the container up on a high shelf. This has "emptied" your mind so you can concentrate on the task at hand, whether that's writing a report at work, or talking to your spouse about chore-sharing. If you're prone to rumination before bedtime, write out a list of all the things running around in your brain, and shut the list in a desk drawer or put it in a jewelry box or a cabinet overnight. Tell yourself you can pick up the list of worries the next day, if need be.



8. Persistent Interruption of Rumination. There are various thought-stopping and thought-replacement techniques. [Sarah's note: One I know of is when you're mourning the end of a relationship and can't stop thinking about your ex. You keep a rubber band on your wrist, and every time you start to get moony and nostalgic for an old flame, you interrupt the thought and snap the rubber band on your wrist so you associate pain, not pleasure, with the thought of your ex. Another example would be "bad body thoughts." Every time you think, "I'm fat/ugly/scrawny/have bad skin," you stop the thought and replace it with a positive affirmation. "I'm just the size I'm meant to be" or whatever.] The key here is to be persistent about interrupting the thought if interrupting the thought 30 times in a day doesn't do it, interrupt it 100 times, or 1,000 times. If you keep doing it consistently, the disturbing thoughts will gradually fade.

9. Worry Well, but Only Once. Some worries must be faced head-on. Perhaps you're worried about an important class test coming up, or you're awaiting the results of a medical test that will show if you have a life-threatening condition. a) Pick your top worry issue, then allow yourself, for a period of time, say 10 to 15 minutes, to thoroughly worry about the issue. b) Do anything that must be done at the present time, say studying for the test for 45 minutes or asking your doctor's office when the results will be available. c) think about a time when it will be necessary to worry again. There's no use worrying about the test when you're at work and don't have time to study. So set your worry time for the next block of free time when you can actually study. Put the worry about the medical tests aside until your doctor's office is open on Monday and you can actually talk to someone, instead of ruining your weekend with useless worry. d) write that future time on a calendar (or put it in your palm pilot). e) every time you start to worry about that subject, tell yourself, "Stop. I've already worried about that. I've done everything I can about it to this point. I am not allowed to worry about this until tomorrow at 6 p.m." Then switch your thoughts to something else.

10. Learn to Plan Instead of Worry. A good plan doesn't need constant review. An anxious brain will go over the plan many ties just to be sure, though. Make a thorough, logical plan of action. Identify the biggest issues. List all possible plans of action. Pick a plan of action. Write out a detailed action plan. The next time you start to worry about your plan, tell yourself, "I've already decided on a plan. I don't need to worry about this anymore." If your action plan containes multiple steps over multiple days, check off each step as you complete it. [Sarah's Note: I find that if I'm worried about an event or schedule that's different from my regular routine, it helps a lot to plan the night before. I think of what outfit I want to wear, try it on to make sure it fits and doesn't have stains on it. There's nothing worse than pulling out an outfit for a special event, realizing you can't use it, and having to ransack your closet for something else appropriate. I usually try to think of a back-up outfit if it's some formal event, too. If I'm going somewhere new, I'll mapquest it the night before and print it out, leaving the map on the kitchen table. I'll calculate how long it takes to get there, add 10 minutes, and make sure I leave at a time that will allow me to get there on time even if unexpected traffic or road construction delays me.]

Comments

[bernmarx.livejournal.com]

useful, thanks