The counsellor gave me many tips and sheets on how to work through your anxiety and panic attacks which I will get on to. But I have found a few of my own
- Adult colouring books (these are not rude like my husband thought I meant) they are just colouring books for adults and they really help me distract my mind from my anxiety.
- Watching the soaps and reading as they take you into a different world that is not your own – again distraction
- If I am in the car I open the window and listen to music
- Listening to music
- Listening to you tube channels with a calming voice specifically to calm you from anxiety
- write down your worries when they come
Now for the counsellors tips:
- stop and breathe, think you can do this
- think I have done this before and I can do it again
- remember how your feeling won’t last forever, it is only temporary
- Create a worry period, and when a worry comes postpone it till your worry period
- Breathing exercises
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Use the worry tree
The Worry Tree
Notice the worry
“What am I worrying about?”
“Is this worry about a current problem or a hypothetical situation?” or “can I do something about this?”
If the answer is no then: If the answer is yes then:
Let the worry go make an action plan
Change your focus of attention then let the worry go
Change your focus of attention
Anxious mum30 