CHAPTER 7: Planning Ahead

We have now gone over the 3A Toolkit for shrinking worry and we will now finish putting together your personal 3A Toolkit that highlight the strategies that are most helpful for you. You have already been thinking about what works for you by noticing your own experience of worry (Awareness), you have learned to label this (Assign a Label), and have been practicing helpful thinking and body calming strategies to shrink your worry (Action).

You have also learned that even when you are not able to shrink your worry in the moment, you can still learn a lot later on when you are calm by going through the debrief. By continuing to practice working on the Awareness, Assessment, and Action parts of the 3A Toolkit, you will get better and better at shrinking your worry.

Planning Ahead

Now you have a good understanding of worry and how to shrink it, and your own 3A Toolkit for managing worry. Consider how you can make time to practice the strategies that are working for you. Consider the time of day that works best for practice, reminders, and perhaps involving a supportive friend or family member to practice with you. Remember to use the debrief process to rewind times when worry was too big, and consider the strategies you want to do differently next time.

What strategies will you practice most often and when?

On the next couple of pages, there is the sample 3A Toolkit to review the approach and a blank 3A Toolkit for you to complete for yourself. I am grateful to be able to share this approach with you and wish you all the best as you learn to manage your stress and anxiety.

What You Can and Cannot Influence

It is really helpful to note the difference between all the things you can influence and all the things you cannot. Putting energy, conscious or not, into factors that are outside of your influence can really drain your resources which is not helpful for managing stress and anxiety well. You certainly may feel sadness, loss, anger and many other things about aspects of your life that are outside of your influence. Notice the feeling as it is already there, and treat yourself with kindness and compassion as you care for the feeling and yourself. And follow this up with shifting your energy and attention to aspects of your life that you are able to influence. Below is a simple diagram to help you explore some of the things in your life that you can influence and some that you cannot. A few examples are listed to get you started but you will want to add many more of your own.

WHAT I CAN NOT INFLUENCE What other people think What other people do What other people say Past mistakes Weather Height

WHAT I CAN INFLUENCE My response to stress and anxiety Healthy habits Being kind Working hard Asking for help

Healthy Habits

Being healthy and being able to shrink your worry involves keeping a balance between things to are important to your body and brain. The following are examples of things to think about that go along with all the other things you have learned in the workbook. Have a look at each of these and decide if you can make any changes so build healthier habits.

Sleep

We need adequate and regular sleep in order for our brains and bodies to recover and have enough resources to deal with challenges. Sleep also helps us consolidate learning.

Exercise

We need exercise for both our physical and mental health. Consider your exercise habits and what kind of exercise helps you to feel better.

Social

We are social creatures and benefit from quality interactions with other people, in person if possible. This helps us feel supported and resourced in order to tackle the challenges of our day.

Play

At all ages, we benefit from being creative and trying new things. Consider what you really enjoy doing and how you can create time in your life for fun and enjoyment.

Rest and relaxation

We need time to be idle with no particular purpose some of the time. This can help our brain recharge, especially our thinking brain.

Goals

All of us have things we need to do related to school, work, and running our lives. Tackling goals and challenge help us feel capable and accomplished.

Nature

Spending time outside and if possible, in nature, helps keep our brains and bodies healthy.

Reflection, Contemplation, Integration

Time to reflect on, contemplate, and integrate your experiences and ideas. You need time to make sense of things and decide what they mean for you and your life.

Finally, your progress will not be in a straights line. Learning to manage and shrink anxiety and worry takes time and a lot of practice. You will be better at this some days than others, there will be ups and downs a long the way. When you hit a bump in the road, remember all the positive steps and progress you have made, remember all the pieces of your strong and stable foundation from chapter 2. Most of all, I am really proud of how hard you have worked to get this far. Thank you for letting me join you on this path towards managing your worry.