Resource: Self-help Strategies for GAD

This resource give some useful self-help strategies for GAD (generalised anxiety disorder). 

Below is a summary (the original is much more detailed and has some amazing information!).

Learning about anxiety:

• Anxiety is a normal system in our body that warns us of danger. Therefore dealing with anxiety is focused on managing it, not completely eradicating it. 
• Anxiety becomes an issue when our body wrongly tells us there is danger, and reacts as if there was danger. 
• people with GAD can worry about almost anything, as there is uncertainty in almost every situation which gives them something to worry about!

Identifying and Recognising Worry

• People with GAD worry excessively, which leads to anxiety. Therefore to manage anxiety, we can manage our worries.
• However, to manage worry we need to be able to recognise it! 
• An idea to start doing this is to make a worry diary - worry diary template .

Classifying Worries

• Two main types of worries are worrying about current situations, or worrying about hypothetical situations.
• You can often control worries about current situations, however there is often little you can do about hypothetical situations. 

Building your Toolbox

• Calming anxiety through slowing breathing - this can help to reduce physical anxiety symptoms - here's an exercise .
• Calming anxiety through muscle relaxation - this can help to reduce overall stress and tension - here's an exercise 
• Becoming comfortable with uncertainty - this can be extremely difficult to do, as uncertainty is often causing anxiety. We can directly face uncertainty, for example by making an effort not to re-read emails, going somewhere new without researching, and delegating tasks to other people. (resource ).
• Rethinking a worry's usefulness - some people may believe that certain aspects of their worry are helpful (e.g. worry motivates them), which can cause them to want the worry, however we can question and rethink these beliefs to see our worry in a realistic way. 
• problem solving - improving your problem solving can enable you to stop worrying about solved problems and feel more confident when facing uncertainty (resource ).
• writing a worry script - this is like a journal where you write all about your worry, which can help you to work through and acknowledge your feelings. - writing a worry script  

Building on Bravery

• It is important to write down and acknowledge all the achievements you make while managing your anxiety.
• Maintaining these achievements takes dedication, practice and a lot of hard work!
• There will always be good days and bad days, but you can definitely make positive changes with your anxiety.

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