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 pain, by consciously training the mind to focus on an activity, but does not completely terminate the anxiety.
- Practice distraction technique by training the mind to focus on how the surroundings feel like, such as, the quality of air, the feel of breeze touching the skin, the aroma in the air, or the sound of draining tap, and so on.
- You can also train the mind to focus on physical aspects, such as, appreciating the heartbeat, breathing patterns, rise and fall of chest wall and abdomen with each deep breathing, and so on. Focusing on physical aspects that become profoundly obvious in times of distress, such as fast heartbeat and increased respiratory rates, can help shift your focus from the anxiety and distress.
- 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.
