Page 63 - Vision Manual

Anxiety
Mood Problems
When people are anxious they usually feel worried, nervous, or afraid. There are often physical signs of anxiety, such as muscle tension, headaches, heart racing, or shortness of breath. People may feel anxious about certain situations and go to extremes to avoid them. Some strategies for coping with anxiety are listed below:
 Talk with someone in your support system to let him or her know about your feelings. Use relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation to stay calm.
 Identify situations that tend to make you anxious and make a plan to do something about them. For example, if you are anxious about an upcoming paperwork deadline, make plans to start working on the first parts of the paperwork.
 Work with your practitioner on a plan for gradually exposing yourself to situations that makes you feel anxious. For example, if someone is anxious about taking the bus, he or she might start by waiting at the bus stop and watching people get on and off the bus. After becoming more comfortable with that, he or she might try getting on the bus and getting off at the first stop. The idea is to feel more comfortable before moving on to the next step.
What are some additional skills and strategies that have worked for you in the past to manage anxiety? What would you add to this list?
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