Patient was instructed today regarding practicing distraction technique for management of anxiety as follows:
- Distraction is an alternative anxiety management technique of shifting the attention away.
- Distraction can help with masking and reducing the experience of anxiety, by consciously training the mind to focus on an activity, but does not completely terminate the anxiety.
- Practice distraction technique by listening to some soothing music or a song you like. You can start tapping the fingers with the music to keep in sync with the distraction from anxiety.
- Try singing along with the song, if taking the mind away from the anxiety is being difficult.
- Since shifting the attention from anxiety could be difficult when the anxiety level is high, start practicing distraction when the anxiety level is manageable or none and gradually move on to practicing it with high anxiety levels, as you gain more control on practicing the technique.
