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Writer's pictureKaren E Jones Counsellor

MANAGING ANXIETY - WITH YOUR OWN TOOLBOX OF STRATEGIES


Being a builder requires a well-equipped toolkit, whether it’s a power tool, a cutting tool, measuring or fastening tool as well as a good safety kit.  Equipping yourself with the right tools is a fundamental step for success in the construction industry, and the same can be said for managing your own emotional well-being and managing your anxiety.  Having the right tools is crucial.




Managing anxiety is an essential aspect of maintaining good mental health.

There are various CBT exercises that are designed to help alleviate anxiety, and by incorporating these practices into your daily routine, you can cultivate a sense of calm into your life, improve and build on your coping strategies, and improve your overall sense of well-being. 


It is, therefore, very important for you to equip yourself with effective tools that you can implement whenever anxiety appears.  Regular practice of these coping skills can improve your mental health and emotional well-being, increase your resilience, and enhance the quality of your life. 


The 54321 Method – Re-direct your attention and use all your senses to ground yourself in the present moment and calm your anxiety:-

-        Look for 5 things you can see

-        Focus on 4 things you can touch

-        Listen for 3 things you can hear

-        Find 2 things you can smell

-        Name 1 thing you can taste


5 Count breath - Regulate your anxiety imagining each step as the three separate sides of a triangle using the five-count breath:-

-        Inhale your breath for a count of 5 (From tip of triangle to right hand corner).

-        Hold your breath for a count of 5 (From right hand corner to left hand corner).

-        Exhale for a count of 5 (From left hand corner to tip).

-        Repeat this process for 4-5 breaths until you feel calm.


Progressive Muscle Relaxation - Engage your body’s relaxation response to alleviate stress and ease tension by tensing and relaxing various muscles throughout the body:-

-        tense your feet by curling your toes and hold this tension for about 5 seconds, then release.

-        Move up the body from your feet, tensing your muscles, holding and releasing, focusing on your calves, upper legs, stomach, arms and hands, shoulders, and face.

-        Finally, tense your entire body for about 5 seconds, and release.


Mindfulness – A great way to reduce stress and anxiety is using Mindfulnes, by turning your attention to what you’re experiencing in the present moment and accepting the different emotions and sensations you observe:-

-        Find a comfortable place to sit quietly for about 5-10 minutes.

-        Turn your attention to your breath, focus on your inhale and exhale and how this feels in your body.

-        Gently guide your mind back to your breath if your thoughts pull you away and your attention wanders.


Mindful Walking - Incorporate Mindfulness by regularly combining it with walking. Take a mindful or meditation walk and turn your attention to what you take in through your senses. What can you see on your walk? What do you hear? Do any colours stand out to you? What can you touch? How does your body feel at this moment as you are walking? Pay attention to details.


Leaves on a Stream – Detach from your anxious thoughts and reduce your anxiety by creating some distance between yourself and the anxious thoughts that you’re experiencing:-



-        Picture yourself by the side of a stream, using all your senses.

-        Imagine leaves floating down the stream.

-        Each time a thought comes up, place it on a leaf.

-        Watch each thought float away.

-        Continue this exercise until you are feeling calm.

 

Thought Record/Journaling – track your thoughts and feelings by getting them out of your head, and down onto paper, making them far easier to process and understand.  After some practice, you begin to write more, become more reflective and start to understand your triggers, your stressors and fears.  This works particularly well for those who struggle with their sleep by writing in the Journal an hour or so before bedtime.  This technique also enables you to identify patterns in your anxious thinking and track your progress over time:-


-        Start by writing down any thoughts or worries you may have each day in your Journal.

-        Gradually build the amount you write, describing how you were feeling when you had these thoughts and how you responded.

-        Look for triggers and find problem solving solutions.

-        Write 3 positive thoughts at the back of your Journal each day – either 3 happy memories, acts of kindness, future goals etc.


Forest bathing - A Japanese practice of immersing yourself in nature:-



-        Slowly walk through a forest or wooded area while engaging all of your senses and connect with the environment around you.

-        Allow the combination of gentle movement, exposure to the natural compounds released by trees and the calming effect of nature to slowly reduce anxiety and cortisol levels.


Cognitive Re-structuring/re-framing – Identify and challenge negative thought patterns and re-frame them into more balanced and positive thoughts:-


-        Become aware of your negative thoughts that contribute to your anxiety.

-        Challenge the negative thoughts by examining the evidence for and against, and evaluating both sides. 

-        Replace the negative thoughts more realistic and positive thoughts.

 

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