Controlling your Thinking 5 - Anxiety

Anxiety
Worry time app
Breathe 2 relax
Google-centre for clinical interventions - workbooks

Fatigue, out of control, phobia
,-response to perception of threat
Fear- very extreme danger short term.
Anxiety-general world feels unsafe, partly aroused, long term threat- motor tension.
Leads to lots of physical effects.
Effects cognitive functions, memory
Effects behaviours
Effects performance - can improve performance, but to much lead to hyperstress
Anxiety disorder - in very serious case.  This impairs our functions
Generalised anxiety disorder - general tendency to worry. Muscle tension, fatigue, concentration, irritability.

State anxiety,- due to circumstances
Trait anxiety -due to our own personality. Can be physical, even if we know about it.

Common threats
-Negative appraisal
- conflict,  failure, loss
Anxiety begets anxiety
-Mindfulness may help

Behaviours
-Use behaviour to dispute anxiety. When logical doesn't work, use behaviour.
-Trying to say right thing or self focused lead to anxiety. Over thinking.
- Don't think to much
- somatic - drugs, alcohol
Safety behaviour: over planning, bottled water, worrying, perfectionism,
End up spending to much time worrying will not be productive .

--- good mental hygiene
Daily physical exercise helps
Good nutrition
Good sleep
Not smoking or excess drinking
Practise cognitive flexibility - let go of the "I should " thinking. Identify the faulty reasoning
Anxiety creates cognitive bias - just need to recognise the anxiety.
Notice the over thinking.
Exposure - learn to face the worries by confronting it.
Make one phone call a day if we are socially anxious
Deep relaxation - When relax our bodies, it will break anxiety cycle.
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- medication like valium relaxes muscle
- anti depressants also relieve anxiety.