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Work in Progress Published monthly by Michele Crawford www.michelecrawford.ca Work in Progress April 2006 Volume I Issue IIFeature Article: Worry Less! Tangible Relief from the Stress of Constant WorryingPlease feel free to forward a copy of Work in Progress (in its entirety) to friends, co-workers, or anyone interested in personal development. In this Issue:1) Note from Michele 1) Note from MicheleDear Reader Welcome to Work in Progress: Part Two of Worry Less! Tangible Relief from the Stress of Constant Worrying. There is a country song that says: “The past is history… the future is a mystery… and the present is a gift.” Read on for more information to clarify the importance of not focusing on the “mystery” with exaggeration and doom, thereby creating unnecessary fear. Capturing the future with assumptions of threat is called worry. 2) Part Two: Worry Less! Tangible Relief from the Stress of Constant WorryingFocus on perspective… Fear-based stress can be created by losing perspective in three ways:
1. Imagining. For a moment, pretend you are surrounded by real tigers… then imagine what you would do. The more you focus on how dangerous tigers are the more fearful it becomes. Here, tigers represent a worst case scenario. So what would be the best choice when you find yourself imaging a frightful situation like this? The best option is… stop imagining! such a scary event will happen. Imagining being surrounded by tigers is an example of catastrophyzing (making mountains out of molehills). A perspective-based solution is to ask yourself for the evidence that your worries will actually occur. Avoid the language of “horrible” and “awful” and other exaggerations. What are the FACTS? versus what you are imagining that has no basis in reality. 2. Assuming the Worst. When you “catastrophyze,”
you can easily adopt the related habit of imaging the worst case scenario
will occur or engage in “What if’ing…?” (For
example, the children’s story of Chicken Little focuses on his
thought “What if the sky is falling?!” He runs around the
farmyard in a panic because he could not control it. His imagined
danger then became real when, in his confused state, he accepted the
“safety” of the fox’s den.) The pattern of “What
if’ing…?” is making up scary “fairy tales”
about your future that can’t help but produce fear (here, the
acronym of fear is: False Evidence Appearing Real).
A perspective-based solution is to teach yourself to think “This too shall pass” or “Then what?” whenever you find yourself “What if’ing…?” By working through the entire scenario, you become calmer. When you are calmer, you are less likely to exaggerate results. When you become focused on a realistic outcome, you will no longer be stuck imagining the worst. For example, every storm (the problem) will end and the sun will come out. You chose which part, the storm or the sun (the solution), that receives your attention. 3. Stuck! on the Worst Possible Outcome. The final ways that you can lose perspective is to freeze-focus and remain stuck on the worst possible outcome. For example, if you focus only on a terrifying storm (instead of the brighter weather that will follow), you will choose to be stuck in fear. It’s like surrounding yourself with tigers, storms and other assumptions of danger and alarm instead of choosing to focus on optimism, problem-solving, solutions and the concept of “the light at the end of the tunnel.” You can choose your focus no matter what reality brings you. Having a clear perspective means focusing on reality-based optimism and problem-solving. Perspective is the alternative to catastrophyzing events and staying stuck on those elements. By simply teaching yourself to:
By challenging yourself to adopt and practice these two strategies, you can reduce your stress levels, especially associated with worry. Then you will increase your levels of happiness, optimism, confidence, self-worth and hope. For more information, please contact: 3) About MicheleMichele Crawford is a therapist who assists individuals who are struggling with trauma, anxiety or depression. Her passion for her work remains embedded in being able to connect with you in your suffering, helping you find real solutions no matter how complex the issue may be. 4) Counselling ServicesAre you prepared to live with more happiness, optimism, confidence, self-worth and hope? If your answer is “yes,” then your next step is to contact me. We can then discuss how I might best help you resolve your problems of Trauma, Depression and Anxiety. The benefits of counselling with Michele include: significantly reduced stress levels, an optimistic outlook in life, increased confidence and hope. Privacy PolicyI want to reassure you that your e-mail address will never be shared or sold to anyone else. Pass It AlongPlease feel free to forward a copy of Work in Progress (in its entirety) to friends, co-workers, or anyone interested in personal development. Copyright Michele Crawford 2006 All Rights Reserved. Michele Crawford RCC CCC
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