Chapter 10: Planning Ahead “Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving” — Einstein We have now gone over the 3A Toolkit for managing anxiety or worry and we will now finish putting together your personal 3A Toolkit that highlights the strategies that are most helpful for you. You have already been considering what works for you by noticing your own experience of stress and anxiety (Awareness), you have learned to label this experience (Assign a Label), and have been practicing strategies from all four categories (Action) to manage your response to stress and anxiety. You have also learned that even when you are not able to manage the anxiety or stress in the moment, you can still learn a lot after the fact by going through the debrief. By continuing to practice working on the Awareness, Assign a Label, and Action components of the 3A Toolkit, you will develop the capacity to regulate your response to stress and anxiety. Your Own 3A Toolkit You now have all the pieces to assemble your own 3A Toolkit. Let’s first review the overall plan for shrinking worry: Then let’s look at what a filled in 3A Toolkit might look like:
3A Toolkit
AWARENESS
(Collecting information)
TOP-DOWN
ASSIGN A LABEL
(Organizing information)
MINDFULNESS AWARENESS THINKING
SELECT A FEELING LABEL FOR YOUR EXPERIENCE
“Is this thought helpful?”
“I feel
”
BODY ACTIVATION • What do you notice about your body?
ACTION
(Responding to the Information) HELPFUL THINKING Messages of safety • “I can get through this” • “This feeling will pass” • “Thank you for trying ot help me Mr. Worry but I am safe” Focus on helpful thoughts: • Capable • Things you can influence • Present moment
• What is your level of activation?
BODY CALMING Levels of activation 0-5 • Breathing • Figure 8 breathing • Tummy clench and release • Butterfly hug • Orienting • Grounding
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5-10 • Exerciseslow and deliberate • Movement • Finger pushups • Bilateral movement • Shaking
