Providing distractions such as a change in environmental factors or shifting someone’s attention can either be therapeutic or not. Changes, especially for a person with anxiety, requires so much than adjustment. However, it is also used as an intervention as the goal of this therapeutic management for patient’s suffering from anxiety is to divert their negative feelings into something that will not cause them fears and worries. However, here are some of the popular therapeutic distractions used for patients with anxiety.
Simple externalization involves the use of your senses to focus on other details of things such as the flavor of the gum you are chewing, the patterns you see on the other side of the bridge if you cross it, hearing the chirping of the birds, looking up instead of looking down. In that way, you do not focus by fearing to fall down or being dragged down the bridge. You can also try to count the number of things that you see around you. Basically, it involves using your other senses and channeling your fears.
Use of communication platforms.
More often than not when circumstances require us to wait such as lining up in a fast food, if we have a friend with us we tend to talk to them or more commonly nowadays, people use their phones to browse, read, watch videos or sometimes entering stranger chat rooms to distract themselves from being anxious and impatient. Avoiding negative feelings.
May it be in a form of work, hobbies or activities, diverting yourself to a more fulfilling duty and use of your time rather than worrying and clamoring. Some people work out, solve crossword puzzles and sudoku. Some people are manic and aggressive knowing that they have too much energy to burn, they decide to consume that energy by going to the gym, enrolling in different classes because being alone just feeds their overactive brains and thoughts.
Not only it is beneficial for patients with fear and anxiety but also individuals in pain. Anxious patients have reduced focus and telling them instructions verbally are least helpful as it no longer gets into their mind to process. They have the tendency to become illogical and lose control during anxiety attacks. The next time you feel being anxious, just choose among the aforementioned techniques which work best for you. The key to controlling symptoms of anxiety is being aware of its occurrence and gaining control over it before it consumes you. Different forms of distractions somehow alleviate the negative emotions. Although there are many remedies and solutions for anxiety, distractions are common and cost effective as it mainly involves the person’s mind as well. It means taking control over your thoughts and emotions before it conquers and eats you.