Being 'AWARE'

I became familiar with the AWARE method for handling panic and anxiety attacks some years ago. I also found a good summary of the process at a website run by Mark Tyrrell. For my own benefit but also that of fellow anxiety sufferers, I have reprinted it here. In this case, over-learning the 'system' is very helpful. So, it can be useful to read over it, often.

The ‘A’ in aware stands for ‘Accept the anxiety'. Decide just to go with the experience. Fighting anxiety, getting angry or scared just fuels the fire.

The ‘W’ in aware is for ‘Watch the anxiety’ Observe it without judging it to be good or bad. Remember - you are more than just your anxiety.

The next ‘A’ in ‘aware is for ‘Act normally’. Behave normally and continue doing what you intended to do. Breathe normally focusing on extending the out breath. If you run from the situation your immediate anxiety may decrease but this may lead to an increase in future anxiety.

Staying in the situation helps ‘decondition’ the panic response as your mind gets the message that it is not really threatening. This is why people often say that the first few minutes of public speaking are the worst. If you continue for longer than a few minutes then the mind gets the message that it’s not really that threatening.

The ‘R’ in ‘aware’ is for ‘Repeat the steps’ AWA. Continue accepting your anxiety, watching it and acting normally until it goes down to a comfortable level.

And finally the ‘E’ in ‘aware’ is for ‘Expect the best’. What you fear may never happen. You will surprise yourself by the effective way you handle situations when using the ‘AWARE’ technique.