Moving forwards
It will take time to break the vicious cycle of fear, but these evidence based techniques will help you to do just that.
Once you have worked up the hierarchy and your anxiety level feels more manageable, it is time to think about next steps. Going back to the targets and goals you set at the start of this programme is a great way to do that. It may be you still want to work towards some of these, or you may feel you have now achieved these, which is great. This next section helps you to think about keeping your CBT skills fresh for the future and what to do if you feel anxious again. Everyday mood changes and anxiety It is normal for our mood to change day to day. Often more than once a day, depending on what happens to us! We all have times when we feel anxious for a few hours or even a few days at a time. Some situations it is entirely appropriate to feel fear in response to. We also have worries, a level of worry and fear in our lives is normal! and keeps us safe. Remember the adrenalin response is there for our safety. We need it to kick in when it should do. What do you do when you have a day like this? Try not to let any anxiety affect what you do. That’s when that vicious cycle can take hold again. It is part of everyday life to feel this way from time to time. You may even have a panic attack again in the future, remember anyone can have a panic attack. The key thing is to not let it affect what you do as a result. Be kind to yourself. Don’t put yourself under too much pressure that your mood has always got to be positive and you won’t feel anxious – you will have days where you feel down or where your anxiety is there. This is OK, we all do!
© Marie Chellingsworth (2020). The CBT Resource.
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