Hi Everyone,
Earlier this week we learned about the value that experimenting with your behaviour can have for reducing anxiety.
Today we’re sharing an evidence-based, step-to-step recipe on how to plan and start your first behavioural experiment.
The goal of this experiment is to try and go into a situation that causes you mild anxiety, then try to act or think differently and see how it impacts your level of anxiety.
By challenging the way you do things, you might find better strategies that make you feel more comfortable and confident.
Behavioural Experiment Recipe:
- Before starting, choose the right situation to practice with. Choose something that is:
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only mild in anxiety and manageable
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immediate or will happen soon
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an alcohol and drug-free situation
2. Before attempting to head into the situation, it’s good to simulate the experiment in your head and make some predictions about:
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any negative thoughts you might have
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any physical symptoms of anxiety you might experience
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any things you might do to avoid the situation (e.g. putting on headphones, avoiding eye contact, etc)
Now, let’s make a concrete plan for your experiment!
- Pick a date and time. Be specific and try to put it in your calendar if you can.
- Think through all the steps, before, during and after to be prepared:
- Create a plan on how you will prepare before you go into the situation (e.g., I will practice sentences, etc.)
- Create a plan on the steps you want to take during the experiment (e.g., I will go to the shop, I will smile at one stranger, If I am anxious, I will remind myself why doing this work is important for me)
- Create a plan for what you will do after the experiment (e.g. I will come home and do a short meditation, I will look back on my predictions and compare them with what happened)
3. At this stage, if you realise that something feel unrealistic or too difficult, try to make it easier or even pick a situation that’s less challenging. Your plan is finished when you feel like you can manage it.
Now that you’ve got the full breakdown, the only ingredient you need is you and your will. So, take it at your own pace that works best for you.
If you have done one of these before or give this one a try, we encourage you to share how it went for you! It can be very motivating for others 💝.