Keeping your mind busy

froghat

Well-known member
Through exercises I did with my old therapist, i notice the more I keep my mind busy, the less I worry and feel anxiety. I was starting to try that again today. Like, when I'm at a stoplight and I'm feeling self concious and think people are looking at me... I start reading license plates over and over again and that takes the focus off me and on other things. So, that works, but I've yet to find a way to do this when I'm talking with someone. I try to focus on the words they are saying, but I always seem to get distracted by their eyes. It's like, where do I look? It's a pain in the butt. Anyone have any ideas on how to overcome this? Anyone use this method for similar problems?
 

IAMN

Well-known member
Through exercises I did with my old therapist, i notice the more I keep my mind busy, the less I worry and feel anxiety. I was starting to try that again today. Like, when I'm at a stoplight and I'm feeling self concious and think people are looking at me... I start reading license plates over and over again and that takes the focus off me and on other things. So, that works, but I've yet to find a way to do this when I'm talking with someone. I try to focus on the words they are saying, but I always seem to get distracted by their eyes. It's like, where do I look? It's a pain in the butt. Anyone have any ideas on how to overcome this? Anyone use this method for similar problems?

I haven't done these exercises with a therapist but I do similar things on my own. I memorize passages and recite it in my head. I look at a person and try to describe him in a matter of fact fashion-- ie he is wearing black shoes with blue jeans, etc. I also have trouble at looking people in the eye so I try to look at a specific part of their body, ie a shoe, and then try to "look past" or zone out. I find the effectiveness of these are low-medium... once a panic attack starts there is nothing stopping it and you have to just hold on for dear life.
 

sevenroses

Well-known member
I guess when I get too much idol time my mind starts to stress out. Sometimes I feel like I have one problem after another. Like if I think everything is alright with my social anxiety I dwell about other problems in life and have this OCD.
 
Top