ANXIETY MANAGEMENT SKILLS

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