Home  |  TOC's and Disclaimer |  Contact
Dealing with Panic

Individuals often deal with anxiety in different ways.

Avoidance
Avoiding anything that causes you unease can easily become a habit. The problem with this is that it can result in you missing out on the opportunity to do something that you would have enjoyed. Over time, avoidance behaviour results in the loss of self confidence
If this is becoming an issue, then you need to ask yourself these questions:
 
1. What do you need to do today?
2. What activities can wait until later ?

It is worth taking your time as you consider these questions. Do you need to stick to a routine in order to make progress? Would disrupting it cause you additional stress/panic? e.g. "I'll never manage to complete everything now that I've allowed things to slip"?

IF you are having thoughts like these, then it is important to acknowledge them, then push them to the back of your mind and make a start.
 
Doing what you can..
1. Select a small task that you know you can do. Don't worry about anything
    else until this task is complete.
2. Compile a list of the task that you would like to accomplish. Group them
    according to when they need to be complete. Today, this week, this month,
    this year?
3. Select those a few things that need to be done soon. Do them before
    selecting the next small set of tasks.
4. Document your progress by crossing tasks of you list as you go.
5. Divide you day into short periods of work followed by rest relaxation.
6. Not everything that you need to do will be interesting and enjoyable; so
   divide your tasks up by alternating the boring an mundane with the
   interesting.
7. Learning and becoming comfortable with doing things differently will take
    time. Be sympathetic with yourself.
8. There will be times when you will decide to break away from your new routine
    and do something different e.g. have a fun day out.
 
Feel the fear and do it anyway
This is an effective method for dealing long term stress and anxiety. It will allow you to confront the situations in which you feel anxious or threatened and make progress in spite of them.  In time you will find it easier to cope with difficult situations and as you face them the associated fear will reduce.
 
It is important to remember the following:-
1. When deciding to do something, be specific e.g.. iron three shirts for work.
2. Accept that you may feel anxiety, particularly in the early stages.
3. Determine that you will hope with any anxiety.
4. Do not run away from a situation that causes you anxiety, take your time
   and breath slowly and relax.
5. Continue the task until the fear fades or you find a way of coping with it. The two main techniques for managing anxiety/panic are detailed below.
 
a) Gradual
Make a list of situations which you find difficult, ranging from ''extremely difficult'' to ''a little difficult" Arrange them in order from most to least difficult. Start at the least difficult end and enter that situation more than once until you feel you can cope with it and the anxiety which arises. Work your way up the list.

b) Total
Think of the most difficult situations for you, and go into it, remembering the points 1 - 5 above.  The section ''Coping with Panic'' may also help.

Keeping records and diaries
This can be a very useful way to identify your issues.
You can use it to make yourself more aware of a) what your fears are, and b) how you are learning to cope with them. Changes will show over time.

Highlight your progress and celebrate the successes along the way.