Anxiety Disorder Treatment - Distraction

Concentrating on the unpleasant symptoms of our anxiety will tend to cause an inflation of these symptoms. Distraction techniques help us to find something else to keep our mind occupied. The theory behind distraction techniques is based on the fact that the human mind can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Therefore, if you place your focus upon something more pleasurable or interesting, you will block out the negative thoughts.

It can be challenging to simply avert our attention away from negative feelings. Two things are necessary in order for you to do so:

Determination to not dwell upon the symptoms
A mind filled with other things; distraction

Distraction can include -

Mental activity

Puzzles, counting backwards from one hundred, working out a strategy for dealing with a task, playing a computer game.

Focus on what is happening in your immediate environment

Counting objects, listening in to conversation, making observations about those around you. By placing your focus on the outside world you are preventing yourself from thinking about what is going on inside.

Exercise:

Let's face it, going to the gym is not for everyone but simply by going for a walk or tending to our garden we are also keeping ourselves physically occupied. This can have the added benefit of using up some of the adrenalin that can make us feel tense.

Reading:

Carry a book or newspaper around with you. This can keep your mind occupied and avert your thoughts from the negative feelings.

Distraction can work well for a lot of people but is not always the most effective method for every individual. Experiment with it and see if it can reduce the symptoms of your anxiety disorder

Previous articles from this category-: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5