Living FreeMoving From Anxiety to

MasteryPresentation by Dr.

Changaris

What is Anxiety?

Fear: The feeling that happens when we are in actual danger. Anxiety: The feelings and thoughts that occur when we are worried about a difficult thing that “might” happen.

Worries: Thoughts about bad things that “might happen.”

Anything that makes us feel good, relaxed or happy helps us move from stress back to our “zone.”

Stress: What happens when we have anxiety and worries for a long time with out feeling good and relaxed.

Power of PlayA pioneer in research on play, Dr. Stuart Brown says humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation and fantasy are more than just fun. Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults -- and keeping it up can make us smarter at any age.

He started studying murders and found the vital role of play in happiness!

Freeze

Fight

Flight

Anxiety Lives in the Brain

Deficient prefrontal attentional control in late-life generalized anxiety disorder: an fMRI investigation

R B Price, D A Eldreth and J Mohlman

AnxietyHow it works… Our rest system shuts

down and stress response kicks on.

We are too relaxed even tiered.

Our minds go blank and we feel helpless.

Anxiety is a Sticky

Gear Shift!

Remember When

You Are Stuck to Shift Gears!

It is good for the body and the

mind!

Cognitive Behavioral – Triad

Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors.

Thoughts

Cognitions, Ideas, Beliefs, Values

Feelings, Emotions

(Happy, Sad, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Surprise)

Behaviors

Actions or anything observable from

the outside

Negative Thought Cycle

Thought“Something Bad Might Happen.”

Feeling“Worried or Anxious.”

Behavior“Avoid trying new things.”

Write Words to Describe Anxiety on

the Lines and Draw a Line to Where You

Feel Anxiety in Your Body…

_____________________________Tight Chest _____ _______________________________________________________________________________Butterflies_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anxiety Effects Our Bodies

Rest/Digest - Fight/Flight

Herbert Benson, M.D. founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute a Massachusetts General Hospital. Harvard

Medical School graduate.

Making the Most of Positive Emotions a Three

Step Plan

1. Do or remember an enjoyable or funny event.

2. Notice how it makes you feel in your body.

3. Take a moment and be grateful for the good feeling.

Key Skills to Manage Anxiety

Change the thought to change how you feel: How we think changes how we feel. Create a “new thought” be a good coach or a cheerleader for yourself! Use a coaching thought.

Improve the moment you are in: Make the moment more tolerable. If life hands you lemons make lemon-aid. If things are just going to be tuff, accept it and make the best of it by doing one thing to make yourself feel better!

Turning your mind: You can make the shift. If you are focusing on things that are worrying you turn your mind! Take control with using a tool or changing your thoughts.

Riding the wave: Emotions have a beginning a middle and an end. They do not last forever. You can just ride the wave if you do the emotion will end and you will feel better again!

Distraction: Distract your self! Get your mind off the feelings. Distract with (activities, contributions, thoughts, sensations, and emotions)

Soothing in the five senses: Find an activity that makes you feel good and do it! A good way to think of one is use the “five senses rule.” Think of one of your senses and find an activity that would make you feel good.