Overcoming Anxiety by Kennerley Helen

Author:Kennerley, Helen
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472113979
Publisher: Constable & Robinson

Refocusing

This means distracting yourself by paying great attention to things around you. If you were in a crowded street you could try counting the number of men and women with blond hair, or look for certain objects in a shop window; in a café, you could listen to others’ conversations (discreetly!) or study the details of someone’s dress (again discreetly!) or note the details of a poster on the wall. The task does not have to be complicated or sophisticated; you just need to find a range of objects to absorb your attention. For example, if someone was anxious about using the supermarket, he or she could read car number plates as their friend drove them to the store, attend closely to their shopping list while moving round the supermarket and, at the checkout, read the details on food packages, count the number of items in their own or another person’s basket or browse through a newspaper or magazine.

Refocusing is particularly useful if you are self-conscious or worried about physical symptoms. When we are socially anxious or worried about our physical health we tend to focus on ourselves – how fast we breathe, how hot we are, how much we shake, what pains we have – and this can make us more uncomfortable and even more anxious. Refocusing takes our attention away from us and this can break the cycle of self-focusing and increasing anxiety.

The great thing about refocusing is that everything you need is around you – you don’t have to stress yourself by wondering what you are going to think about – the possibilities are all within view. But it is not just the things that you can see that can distract you – what can you hear? What can you smell? How does the gravel feel and sound as you walk over it? How does the seat beneath you feel? And the sun on your shoulders? You can use all your senses to absorb your thoughts.

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