When a client suffers from anxiety, they’re often locked in worry about the future . . .
. . . which can prevent them from enjoying meaningful parts of life in the present.
But one way that clients can work through their anxiety is by building a values-based mindset.
So in the infographic below, we laid out a four-step process that can help shift a client’s focus away from their anxiety and motivate them to work toward their goals.
Have a look, and please share with your clients.
Click the image to enlarge
In life, you’re constantly managing unknowns. But when anxiety takes hold, it can be difficult to face those unknowns and do the things you once enjoyed. So how can you overcome anxiety when it’s holding you back?One way to motivate yourself in the face of anxiety is to build a values-based mindset.
1. Identify the meaningful parts of life that the anxiety is blocking.
2. Shift the focus away from the anxiety itself toward the meaningful goal.
3. Create a list of positive messages that would motivate you toward that goal.
4. Be gentle with yourself – you’re not alone. Many of the people you meet may be working through something similar.
Think, for example, about a person who is afraid to drive on the highway. In order to shift the focus, their therapist might ask, “Why do you want to drive on the highway? What’s in it for you?”
That person might want to drive so they can go on a date, see a grandchild, get to a job, or buy a present for someone they love.
When anxiety threatens to keep you from people you love and activities you enjoy, these four steps can give you powerful motivation to do what is meaningful to you despite anxiety.
(If you’re sharing this infographic, please attribute it to NICABM. We put a lot of work into creating these resources for you. And if you’re sharing this digitally, please link back to this page in your attribution. Thanks!)
If you’d like to print a copy, you can use one of these links:
Now we’d like to hear from you in the comments below. Do you use values-based approaches with your clients? What else do you find helpful when working with anxiety? Please let us know.
If you found this helpful, here are a few more resources you might be interested in:
Working with the Body to Release Anxiety, with Pat Ogden, PhD
[Infographic] Four Core Strategies for Managing Stress and Anxiety
The goal, the reason I want to do something, is important. But if I am set in failure, I try to imagine a variety of possibilities that would keep me from reaching the goal. And make a plan for those possibilities. That is not worrying, it is preparing. And if something unanticipated happens, I have practiced solving other problems, and do not get so anxious. Perhaps that is positive thinking taken to another level?
Not really sure how “un-anticipating” something you don’t expect and this would leave you with no anxious fear of being not prepared for the events to happen anyway.
Plan for the worst….hope for the best!
No problem with this model thanks, but any advice about how to manage anxious memories that surface whilst anticipating the event, or during its execution please?
Might be useful as has been to me personally and as a clinician
and not a format but very fluid as going-with-the-flow, a therapeutic stream of consciousness.
-Name it as “these devastating, working its way down to, annoying, memories are hurting me “ codifies their existence and makes them addressable.
-Use personification for a dialogue with what pops-up in your mind as might be “what are you doing here?”
memory “ I don’t want you to forget me”
You “I don’t want you entering my life here but can we talk later”
memory “ok when?” Or whatever one comes up with as the dialogue flows and may be interrupted along the way as emotions need addressing and so on.
I am very grateful to have received this message and found it helpful reminder as I have so many others.
Thank you NICABM for providing these infographics. I have found them to be very helpful in psychoeducation. Sometimes they hit the nail on the head and other times they are a starting point for a good discussion, but always helpful.
Picture books! Thank you.
Love picture books 🙂
Thanks, I find this very helpful – reminding that anxiety is related to fear and the need to present in the moment.