Replacing the Object of Your Fears
Recently a good friend of mine had surgery. Prior to her surgery we discussed the anxiety she has, which was amplified by the upcoming procedure.
She told me about a strategy for managing anxiety which I hadn’t thought about previously: replace that which you are afraid of with something hilarious.
Essentially this is a linguistic version of the Harry Potter spell “Riddikulus!”
Below are some examples - see what you can come up with, and if this strategy works for you!
Original Thought: I am feeling anxious because I’m afraid of falling from heights.
Replacement: I am feeling anxious because I’m afraid of dancing uncontrollably when up high.
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Original Thought: What if my teacher thinks my answer is stupid?
Replacement: What if my teacher thinks my answer is in another language even though I’m clearly still speaking English? She would think she was going mad!
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Original Thought: I’m sure my friends are all partying without me.
Replacement: I’m sure my friends are all belching without me.
The goal is to make the replacement thought - well - ridiculous! Have fun with this, and remember that you have a 100% success rate of living through your anxiety. That WILL continue!