Lesson 1
Defining Panic And Anxiety
Human beings are meaning making machines, so it's natural for us to turn to definitions while looking for answers. Panic is defined as sudden uncontrollable fear, whereas Anxiety is defined as a normal response to stress. In this lesson, we will work through how your lived experiences will shape your own definitions of these terms, identify the weight you carry from these experiences and see where the common ground is between the two terms.
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Lesson 2
Daily Routines
Daily routines can help us move through the day with ease, knowing what to expect and how best to proceed. This can be tremendously helpful for someone who deals with panic or anxiety, as it takes a few questionable variables off of the table and allows the brain some decompression. In our lesson today, we will dig into why these routines are helpful, look at your individual routines, whether they are helpful or not, and how best to improve them.
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Lesson 3
De-escalation And Grounding
Yesterday we talked about how our daily routines can help or hinder our progress toward our mental and emotional well-being, and I touched on the importance of regulating activities. Today, we will talk further about breathwork as a grounding practice to help us move through the day from a space of regulation.
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Lesson 4
Moving Through Waves
In our session today, we compared the discomfort created from a panic or anxiety attack to the different phases of a wave and sought to grow more comfortable with them and the discomfort they create. In acknowledging where the discomfort comes from, we create space for healing and growth so that the next phase of the wave is easier for us to manage.
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Lesson 5
Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts can be, at their worst, scary and come at unexpected moments. They can trigger a panic or anxiety attack, elevate stress hormones, create sleep deprivation, and can linger if left unattended. In this lesson, we discuss the importance of validating these thoughts to curb the spiral and embark on a journey to move through them before they become intrusive.
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Lesson 6
Confusion, Stress and Worry
The aftermath of panic and anxiety is often a mixture of confusion, stress, and worry. It comes from a space of disregulation, heightened responses, and dissociation - which can feel really big and heavy while you're trying to recover from such difficult emotions. In our session today, we will give space for these residual emotions and use journaling as our primary tool.
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Lesson 7
Processing With Art
In your lesson today, you will be processing the big emotions of panic and anxiety through artwork. Gather whatever materials feel best for you! Art has a way of giving a physical representation to abstract thought and allows it space to breathe that isn't inside of us anymore.
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Lesson 8
Bilateral Stimulation And Visualization
Today, we are using Bilateral Stimulation and Visualization to create a Calm Place, which we will use as a foundational practice to anchor down, recover from any recent panic or anxiety, and bring us back into a space of nervous system regulation.
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Lesson 9
Fear And Anxiety
Today, we take a look at the intersection of fear and anxiety, while acknowledging that often they share roots and one can amplify the other. Using the tool of Emotional Mapping, we give context to these two emotions and allow parts of their story to come forward so we can see where the healing needs to go.
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Lesson 10
Name It To Tame It
If your emotions could tell a story, what would they say? In our lesson today, we are calling it what it is - giving a voice to our emotions of panic and anxiety, and allowing them to have a personality and entity so as to give them context within storytelling.
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Lesson 11
Emotional Toolkit And Letter Writing (bonus)
Sessions 11 and 12 are bonus activities to help you further develop emotional resolve and processing, and help you create an even stronger emotional toolkit. In this lesson, we will talk about your Emotional Toolkit reminders, and also dig into some open letter writing- both from the first-person narrative and from the perspective of your emotions.
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Lesson 12
Today I Need (bonus)
This final lesson is a bonus activity that I use in my counselling practice all the time - Today I Need. It is a way of advocating for the self and your own needs, while opening up and articulating to your support circle that you are in need of their support. It creates safety, self-resiliencez, and takes ownership of our needs.
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