Live Better Series: “I can live a vital and meaningful life.” “Effective Ways to Address Anxiety”, part 1
Tom Lavin MFT, LCADC, ACATA
Bluebird: I can live a vital, meaningful life. And, I accept I will sometimes have pain, and other times have joy, in my life.
New Pair of Glasses: to change my life, and grow in wisdom, I need to look at things differently. Beach ball: I need to stop avoiding my life by pushing thoughts and feeling underwater. By being mindful, I will let my thoughts and feelings come up and accept them for what they are. Finger trap: It is healthy for me to “accept what is as it is”. When I struggle against “what is”, I trap myself and cause suffering for myself. Accepting does not necessarily mean I like it. 1, 2, 3: I can live a vital and meaningful life by choosing and committing to values that are important to me—NIKE Therapy “Just do it!”, make a plan, don’t procrastinate, take action. Letting go and letting be is also a way of taking positive action.
1. Everyone feels anxious from time to time. Sometimes anxiety can alert us to attend to something important in our lives. When do you think feeling anxiety can be a good
thing?_______________________________________________________
2. Circle if you have recently experienced the following: nervous, restless, fatigued, rapid heartbeat, on edge, difficulty concentrating, irritable, avoiding people or situations that make you nervous, feeling overwhelmed
3. When we are anxious, we may want to avoid or try to escape feeling anxious. Circle if you have done any of the following to not feel anxious: using alcohol-drugs-gambling, avoiding people or situations, over-sleeping, having “someone stronger” take care of you, other__________________
4. Has anxiety negatively impacted any of the following? Self-esteem, job, relationships, health, friends, having fun, other_____________________ How has it impacted?__________________________________________
5. ACCEPT: “I tend to get anxious. I am sometimes more anxious than I wish I was. I don’t like feeling anxious. But that’s ok. I can feel anxious and still go about my life—do the things I really want to do. I don’t have to let anxiety tell what I can-cannot do.”
6. CHOOSE-COMMIT: “Even though I am anxious, I can turn my thoughts toward what’s important to me-the kind of person I want to be and what I want to do with my life.” What I value_____________________________.
7. TAKE ACTION: “My anxiety will come and go. Let it be for now. It will pass. I have decided what is important to me and now I want to do NIKE THERAPY- “Just do it!”. I won’t procrastinate—I have the courage to do what I value.
8. Based on what is really important to me, today I
will________________________________________________________.
Any questions or thoughts I have about healthy ways to deal with anxiety:_______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
Recommended workbook: “Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety” by John P. Forsyth, PH.D and Georg H. Eiffert, Ph.D.
