laurie’s top five skills to cope with anxiety

breathe and slow down: breathe deeply from the bottom of your stomach. make every movement deliberate. slow your rate of speech and gait. focus on one thing at a time.

shift your attention: divert your attention to a simple task that requires full concentration. count the number of different candy bars at the checkout line, recall the name of your pets, friends or teachers throughout your life, identify the bass line in a song on the radio.

be here now: focus on each of your major senses, one at a time. notice sights and colors.

close your eyes and focus on each sound, even ambient noise. become aware of the position of your body.

see if you can identify the feeling in your hands that lets you know you are alive.

reality check: how bad is it? how bad is it really? will you live through this, even if it is uncomfortable, undesired or unwanted? have you considered other than the worst-case scenario?

also identify the best and most likely scenarios.

know that this is only a feeling.. it is not comfortable but it will subside and eventually pass.

observe your thoughts: notice, without judging, the thoughts your mind produces when anxious.

remember these are just thoughts created by uncomfortable feelings, not factual information.

watch as your thoughts come and then recede away, like waves at the beach.