Facing the Fear

Today i am covering the subject of 'avoidance & facing fear'. Having worked with many individuals suffering with mental health issues i have learned a lot of techniques that have helped them overcome many obstacles.

A definition of  fear:-

fear

/ˈfir/

noun

• 1.an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat:"he is prey to irrational fears"synonymsterror, fright, fearfulness, horror, alarm, ... moreantonymscalmness, confidence

Alex Niles in 'Psychology Today' describes fear as "an emotional response induced by a perceived threat that causes a change in brain and organ function, as well as in behaviour."

To cope with fear we need to be able to:

1. firstly face up to it (Acknowledgement),
2. secondly understand it (what has caused it and how it manifests itself)
3. and lastly overcome it (manage & control)  

SO how can we do 1 and 2 in order to achieve 3??

Firsty, we need to understand that with fear often comes avoidance, whether it be of people, situations or places. This in turn causes anxiety and fear.

Avoidance is an important concept to help us understand why our anxiety is maintained and increases.  eventually we end up thinking that the only way i can cope with these situations is to avoid them. 

We need to face the fear through stages one step at a time.

1. Setting targets:- identifying the situations that are avoided and/or cause anxiety (be specific and detailed). Start with the easiest tht you are most likely to tackle initially. 
2. Grade these tasks/targets:- break each one (starting with the easiest) down into smaller specific tasks, increasing in difficulty. Be confident in your prospect of achieving this. Use coping skills that you have used before to tackle this.
3. Practice:- Taking each task one at a time, using your coping skills,  practice these tasks until it is no longer difficult for you to do. It is perfectly natural to experience some anxiety whilst doing this but your confidence will grow as long as you practice often and regularly. Daily if possible. 

Resources:

• Working Minds UK: https://www.working-minds.org.uk/documents/graded-exposure.pdf
• Very Well Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/practice-social-anxiety-disorder-exposure-therapy-3024845
• OCD UK: https://www.ocduk.org/overcoming-ocd/accessing-ocd-treatment/exposure-response-prevention/

    

How to live a productive Lifestyle?

Well we're half way through the year already. How many of you said "and this year I intend to do"...or "this year things will be different".
My start of the year statement was "this year is my year"


For me that's not just a statement but a target/goal I intend to reach.

Implementing these 4 changes in your life can lead to more positive productivity. 

1. Set yourself goals...

"You don't have to get it perfect,  you just need to get it started"...  

Joe Schoeder

I believe a lot of people fail in achieving their, what you might call... 'new year resolutions' or 'fail to see things through', due to a variety of reasons including;

  😕setting unrealistic / unachievable goals

😞negative thinking

😔lack of focus 

👉you

I have seen and experienced how negative things can have almost a domino effect and impact on every aspect of your life.

But I've always been able to see something positive in negative things. Because of this I've been able to :

😀set realistic / achievable goals

😉have positive thinking 

😀stay focused 

👉believe in me

One of my aims is to give you hints and tips of how you too can lead a more productive lifestyle that can help you achieve your goals.

So remember... 

"You don't have to get it perfect,  you just need to get it started"

Have you started to achieve the goals that you set for 2018  ?

 2. Look after your health... 

How to start setting those goals, (those achievable goals)? 

One the main things that stops us from achieving and/being productive is ourselves. We can be our worst enemy!

We have to strengthen and love our mind and body. 

The sun is out...free therapy for both the body and mind. My indoor plants are out in the sun, watered and fed with nutrients. I want them to absorb that lovely vitamin D.  

I need the benefits of Vitamin D & nutrients too, not just my plants.

Most of the plants i have indoors are known to clear the air and be relaxing for the mind. 

Before we can make positive progress and even start planning to be more productive, we need to start looking after our minds and body's. 

Exercise your body AND mind, ENRICH your body and mind - fluid -WATER, EXERCISE, NATURAL living.

Start by...

1. Take away 1 negative from your life - whether it be a habit, a lifestyle choice, a person or thing

1. Replace that negative with something positive - new good habit, Health check, positive people, and things that are good for you and/natural.

Let's see how many more positives we can add to our lives?!

3. Look after your mind... 

"Your strongest muscle and worst enemy is your mind. TRAIN IT WELL"

Our mind is so amazing and powerful but it can be our worst enemy as i said in my last post. So how do we train our minds? We need to nourish, educate and protect it. 

•     The food you eat directly affects the function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood. Your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. (after all it is working 24 hours a day!)

The gut is also known as our second brain (https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/is-snacking-bad-for-your-health)

• Research research...research...research - learn, learn, learn. Know your subject area (whatever that may be)
• Protect yourself from negativity. Do what you know works for you

• Start paying attention to how eating different foods makes you feel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress 

Remember your mind is there to keep you safe...so it doesn't want you to do anything that challenges your safety (M.J.) e.g that pile of paper work, that discussion you're putting off or that new regime. 

4. Stay positive...  

"What's the point of all this?" 

Sometimes we might think "This is a waste of time, or this is stupid. What's the point in doing all this? 

Remind yourself of the good reasons for keeping going. It can be so easy to keep seeing the faults. 

Challenge those disbeliefs.  

Try to remember that some present problems stem from a negative view. Work towards a more positive view of life and yourself and watch your confidence grow. 

"True confidence has nothing to do with what is happening in your outer life. True confidence isn't created because of WHAT you do, but because of your belief in the ability YOU HAVE WITHIN to do anything you want to do

" Angelis, B.D 1995 'Confidence your ultimate guide to finding it & living it''p.11

Resources: