E 206 Overcoming Anxiety: Conversations with Your Worry
Description
Remember a couple weeks back when we talked about expecting worry? Well, this time we're taking it a step further. We're learning how to actually talk to our worries! I know, it sounds a bit odd at first, but stick with me here.
The idea is to personify our anxiety - give it a character, a face, maybe even a silly voice. For me, it's Mrs. Crawley from Downton Abbey (if you know, you know!).
By doing this, we can separate ourselves from our anxiety and have a conversation with it.
I shared some examples of how to chat with your worry:
- Acknowledge it: "Hey there, Worry. I knew you'd show up for the first day of school."
- Be friendly: "Come along for the ride, but you'll see there's nothing to fear."
- Boss it around (in a playful way): "Knock it off! This isn't an emergency."
The cool thing is, this technique works for all ages. I even had a 59-year-old client use it successfully!
For parents, I emphasized the importance of modeling this behavior and then coaching our kids to do it themselves. It's all about helping them become independent anxiety-managers.
Oh, and exciting news! I'm starting a parent book study group where we can dive deeper into these concepts together. If you're interested, sign up HERE!
I'd love to hear how this technique works for you or your kids. Give it a try and let me know!
Find my podcast
Email me: ccoufal@cynthiacoufalcoaching.com
Text me: 785-380-2064
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