Page 7 - How to Handleworriesandanxieties pdf_Classicalbook22

Listen and then talk back to the worry

Hear what the worry is saying to you and know which bits are lies

and not true. Try not to think about what might happen. Worries
love it when you get worked up about what might happen. The truth

is that no one can see into the future – so no one knows what will

happen, which means, when we’re worrying about something it may
not turn out to be as bad as we’re worried it will!

Next, talk back to the worry. Here is an example:

Worry: You have to start that new school next week. You won’t know
anyone there. It’s going to be horrible. The homework will be harder.

You’re going to really miss your old friends from your old school too.

You: Yes, I will start my new school next week. I’ll find new friends. I

don’t know what the homework will be like yet. Maybe it will be

easier! I’m going to see all my old friends at the weekends and other
times.

Do this every time the worry comes back and it will get smaller and
you will get stronger.

With tougher and stronger worries that keep coming back you will

need to be firmer! You might need reinforcements or helpers.

Imagine the ‘worry’ sitting on one shoulder. It keeps jumping up and

down and saying annoying and upsetting things no matter how much

you talk back to it. Now imagine a ‘worry helper’ sitting on your
other shoulder. Your helper is going to hop across and sit with the

worry and listen to it for a while so you don’t have to:

You: Yes, thank you worry. You’ve told me that lots of times. You can
tell my helper all about it instead right now. I’ll think about it again

later.

Then make sure you do just that – stop listening to the worry for now
and do some things that you enjoy doing.