anxiety management skills
TRANSCRIPT
Anxiety Management Skills
Workshop
Marsha Hilton
KEY OBJECTIVES• TO UNDERSTAND STRESS vs ANXIETY • TO PROMOTE THE MANAGEMENT OF
ANXIETY• ENCOURAGE THE USE OF PRACTICAL,
USER-FRIENDLY METHODS/TIPS TO MANAGE ANXIETY
STRESS• STRESS IS ANY OUTSIDE FORCE OR
EVENT THAT HAS AN EFFECT ON OUR BODY OR MIND.
• IT IS A PHYSICAL MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE THAT CAUSES BODILY OR MENTAL TENSION
DEBUNKING ANXIETY• IT IS A NORMAL REACTION TO STRESSFUL SITUATIONS.
• ANXIETY CAN BE USEFUL FOR EXAMPLE BEFORE A COMPETITION OR PRESENTATION OR A JOB INTERVIEW.
• IT WILL INCREASE YOUR ALERTNESS AND PERFORMANCE. ANXIETY IN SITUATIONS OF REAL DANGER ENABLES INDIVIDUALS TO ACT QUICKLY TO WARD OFF/ESCAPE DANGER.
ANXIETY
• SEVERE ANXIETY HOWEVER IS NOT USEFUL AND CAN DIMISH AN INDIVIDUAL’S CAPACITY TO TAKE IN NEW INFORMATION OR PLAN AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.
ANXIETY• IN THE WORKPLACE MAY PRODUCE THE
FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS:
–WORRYING
– PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
– PANIC
–OBSESSIVE THINKING STYLES
ANXIETY • ANXIETY CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS THE
INABILITY TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY.• INDIVIDUALS AVOID CERTAIN
SITUATIONS OR TASKS, IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID A NEGATIVE OUTCOME.
• THEY PROCRASTINATE, REFUSE TO DELEGATE, DO EXCESSIVE CHECKING, AVOID SITUATIONS, CONSTANTLY SEEK REASSURANCE.
ANXIETY CYCLE• E+R=O (Event +
Response=Outcome)
• INTERRUPT THE CYCLE BY ACTIVELY CHANGING YOUR RESPONSE TO THE TRIGGERING EVENT WHICH WILL PRODUCE A DIFFERENT OUTCOME
ANXIETY CYCLETrigger
(Prompting Event)
Sensations
Avoidance
More Anxiety
Thoughts
Feelings
STRESS BEAKER
STRESS BEAKER• Create & enforce realistic & healthy
boundaries, so that you can get closer to the goal of managing your anxiety.
• Leave enough room for the unexpected.
• Watch for the rising fizz/gas of the soda to mitigate against overflow—learn to ask for help.
Rumination• UNHELPFUL THINKING HABITS E.G.
NOTICING Failures BUT NOT SUCCESSES• REPEATEDLY BOTHERED BY A WORRY
THOUGHT• RUMINATING DIMINISHES PROBLEM
SOLVING CAPABILITIES• CAN CREATE A FEELING OF BEING
STUCK
Interrupting rumination• ACCEPT THE THOUGHTS & RECORD
THEM• RETURN TO IT AT A LATER TIME TO
EVALUATE WHETHER WORRYING/RUMINATING ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING.
• RECOGNIZE THEY ARE PROBABLY NOT ACCURATE.
• ALLOW THEM TO SUBSIDE.
TALK TO YOURSELF KINDLY• BE MINDFUL OF THE THINGS YOU SAY TO
YOURSELF.
• LIST & ACKNOWLEDGE POSITIVE QUALITIES ABOUT YOURSELF- CREATE A RECORD TO FILL YOUR PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNT-PBA
• WHEN ANXIETY THREATENS TO TAKE OVER ASK YOURSELF “AM I MAKING MORE WITHDRAWALS THAN DEPOSITS IN MY PBA?”
POSITIVE QUALITIES• REMEMBER POSITIVE QUALITIES
DOES NOT = PERFECTION.• INDULGE IN A LITTLE FISHING IF YOU
FIND YOURSELF STUCK ON BEING ABLE TO FILL YOUR PBA.
(ASK A FAMILY MEMBER OR CLOSE FRIEND WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT YOU…FISH FOR COMPLIMENTS)
MINDFULNESS• MINDFULNESS IS BEING PRESENT,
BEING AWARE OF WHAT YOU ARE THINKING AND FEELING IN YOUR BODY.
• BEING AWARE OF THE HERE & NOW• BE AWARE OF YOUR BREATH AND
USE IT TO REMAIN PRESENT • DISENGAGE FROM AUTO PILOT MODE
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS• NOTICE YOUR BREATHING WHEN YOU BECOME
ANXIOUS SLOW IT DOWN AND NOTICE EACH BREATH THAT YOU INHALE AND EXHALE. THEN PRATICE DEEP BREATHING. ALLOWING YOUR BELLY TO PUSH OUT TO CAPACITY AS YOU INHALE, THEN DEFLATE AS AS YOU EXHALE. REPEAT A FEW TIMES
• RECOGNISE HOW THAT MAKES YOU FEEL THEN RETURN TO THE SITUATION AT HAND WHEN YOU FEEL CALMER.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS• LET GO OF THE NEED FOR A QUICK FIX
BY SAYING SOMETHING TO HELP YOU LET GO SUCH AS “THIS IS ONLY ONE SCRIPT TO THE STORY & I CAN REWRITE IT AT ANY TIME” OR “THIS TOO SHALL PASS”
• FOCUS ON ONE THING AT A TIME, FROM MOMENT TO MOMENT
RECOGNISE YOU ARE MORTAL• POSITIVITY TAKES PRACTICE, ‘BEING
PRESENT’ TAKES PRACTICE• GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO NOT
HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT. • LEAVE ROOM FOR THE UNEXPECTED,
AND UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE.• LIFE IS NOT MEANT TO BREAK US…
WRITE A NEW SCRIPT EVERYDAY.
HOMEWORK
• FIND AFFIRMATIONS TO FILL UP YOUR OWN PBA