My therapist gave me an exercise called Thoughts On Trial.
Basically, you take your thought or perception (for example, "I'm useless") and think up all the reasons you can that shows this statement is false (example: "I'm good at cooking, I don't leave dishes out, I help others when they need it")
It's a very simple exercise, and honestly, I almost always find so many more reasons as to why that thought or feeling is false. It was one of the better techniques for me.
Another is a worry timer. You set a timer on your phone (up to 5 minutes max) and put your phone across the room. Then you spend your time addressing the worries you have. When the timer goes off, you get up and turn it off and get on with your day. It's very important you put your phone or timer across the room so you can physically bring yourself out of worrying.
If you have a worry that is bugging you during the day, you can acknowledge it and set it aside for the five minutes you allot yourself to worry. You can also do multiple worry timers if you need to, in the morning and in the evening.
This was a big one that really helped me out.
Take care, OP! You're not alone in this! Don't be afraid to ask for help, because it means you are still fighting for yourself! ❤️
Edit: I was also told to pop a warhead or toxic waste candy in the middle of a panic attack. For whatever reason, the human brain can't process anxiety and ultra sour at the same time. Used it once, and yes, I was too busy trying not to cry because the damn thing was just that sour. Now I keep a pack of toxic waste in my bag just in case.
WeedyClusterfuck t1_j9wgggd wrote
Reply to comment by quantafolia in LPT request: How to reduce my anxiety? by quantafolia
My therapist gave me an exercise called Thoughts On Trial. Basically, you take your thought or perception (for example, "I'm useless") and think up all the reasons you can that shows this statement is false (example: "I'm good at cooking, I don't leave dishes out, I help others when they need it") It's a very simple exercise, and honestly, I almost always find so many more reasons as to why that thought or feeling is false. It was one of the better techniques for me.
Another is a worry timer. You set a timer on your phone (up to 5 minutes max) and put your phone across the room. Then you spend your time addressing the worries you have. When the timer goes off, you get up and turn it off and get on with your day. It's very important you put your phone or timer across the room so you can physically bring yourself out of worrying. If you have a worry that is bugging you during the day, you can acknowledge it and set it aside for the five minutes you allot yourself to worry. You can also do multiple worry timers if you need to, in the morning and in the evening. This was a big one that really helped me out.
Take care, OP! You're not alone in this! Don't be afraid to ask for help, because it means you are still fighting for yourself! ❤️
Edit: I was also told to pop a warhead or toxic waste candy in the middle of a panic attack. For whatever reason, the human brain can't process anxiety and ultra sour at the same time. Used it once, and yes, I was too busy trying not to cry because the damn thing was just that sour. Now I keep a pack of toxic waste in my bag just in case.