Making your Anxiety Cards

Sometimes it helps to have something tangible in your hands in order to deal with your anxiety. Some people try a stuffed animal to hug and hold, others use music to meditate to and some of my psychology friends suggest making up anxiety cards. These are the size of playing cards, you can also go online and find a template to use. Print out the template and trace onto index cards which will be sturdier than regular old paper.

Here are some ideas to put on the cards:

1) When you feel anxious you can try:

a) Distraction - find something to take you away from your thoughts. Music, Podcast (I sometimes play Murder Mystery ones) or meditate

b) Controlled breathing - Go outside sit in the sun, concentrate on the birds, close your eyes and BREATHE! Deep breath in and out for a certain length of time to calm you.

c) Grounding - Go outside and put your feet in the cool grass and let Mother Earth heal you baby!

2) When I feel frustrated you can try:

a) Progressive muscle relaxation - This is a great way to de-frustrate. More on this in another handout.

b) Visualization - For this I have great results if I go outside. Take a chair put it in the sun, take off your shoes and close your eyes and just picture a good scene in your head. Breathe and it will help relax you.