Three scenarios against anxiety

How does it work?

When feeling anxious, your vision is narrowed and you can only perceive your fears and anxieties. These are often irrational, but that doesn’t detract from their horror. This exercise will help you expand your thinking by first looking at the other extreme – the ideal scenario. It will be similarly irrational to the catastrophic one. But it will help you expand your thinking and allow you to think about what is in the imaginary centre and what is most likely to happen. Pushing the catastrophic scenario to the extreme will also show you how unlikely that scenario is.

Instructions

1. Think about what you are worried and afraid of.

2. Take a pencil and a piece of paper.

3. Write down the worst-case scenario that could happen. Take it to the extreme.

4. Breathe and observe your thoughts and feelings.

5. Write down the best-case scenario of how it could go.

6. Breathe and observe your thoughts and feelings.

7. Write down the most likely scenario of what is likely to happen.

8. Acknowledge how you feel now.

Example

1. The worst case scenario: I get asked a question during my exam that I don’t know how to anwer to. I say some stupid thing and embarrass myself in front of the teacher, I start crying uncontrolably  and run out of the room. I don’t get enough credits to pass the next semester and I get kicked out of school. I’ll work at a fast food restaurant and live with my parents until I die. 

2. The best-case scenario: I get asked a question I know everything about. I make the teacher proud with my knowledge and walk away with an A. I’ll do just as well on the other exams and finish early and have a long vacation.

3. The most likely scenario: I get asked a question that I know relatively well. I’ll give an average or fair performance, maybe blush if I don’t know all the answers. I’ll get a D or fail and go for a another attempt to try like some of my classmates before me.

Try this method when you feel anxious from an exam while studying.