APPLE technique for coping with uncertainty
Finding uncertainty hard to manage? then try the simple APPLE technique:
A - AWARE - notice the anxiety as it comes to mind, acknowledge it is there.
P - PAUSE – rather than simply reacting as you usually do, just take a moment, breathe... pause.
P - PULL BACK – Remind yourself that the thought is just your worry talking, talking in an unhelpful way.
L - LET GO – let go of the worrying thought or feeling about needing certainty. Remind yourself that thoughts are not facts, you don't need to react to them as if they are. You might want to picture the worrying thought gently drifting off like a bubble or a cloud.
E - EXPLORE – Notice the present moment - tune in to your senses, what you can see, feel, hear, touch; notice your breathing and the firm ground beneath you.
Blue Skies
Imagine that your mind is a clear blue sky, fresh and bright. Now imagine your thoughts as if they are clouds against the sky - sometimes they might seem dark and thundery at others they are light like fluffy cotton wool balls... sometimes the sun comes shining through. Notice that the clouds will drift away, constantly changing - just like our thoughts and feelings but the sky is always blue above them.
RAIN for self compassion - Meditation with Tara Brach
The RAIN technique and meditation is a lovely way to calm the system and was developed by mindfulness expert Tara Brach (link below): RECOGNISE what is happening; ALLOW the feeling to be there, just as it is, make room, it's just how it is right now; INVESTIGATE the feeling with interest, gentleness and care, sense what you are believing about yourself or others, notice what that feeling is like in your body, what does that part of you need most?NURTURE and nourish yourself with self compassion, explore what allows you to feel love in your very being, be it a sensation of light or warmth, have the intention to offer yourself care.
Worry Tree Video
An animation about a mental health technique called 'Worry Tree' to refocus when worried. It helps show us how to sort our worries into different boxes. Once we've decided what type of worry we have then we can deal with them in the best way possible. Courtesy of Rise Above.
'Stress Bag' a film
We can all get stressed - it's like having a bag which can only take so much and we all have different sized bags... this short film helps you to recognise the signs Courtesy of Biomation on True Tube.
Tackling Unhelpful Thoughts
Sometimes we have unhelpful thoughts, or thoughts that are really negative.
But hang on a minute, we’ve been talking about all of these thoughts and what we found was that most of them are usually just thoughts that we might think when we’re really stressed and some are not even real.
See what kinds of thoughts these might be by watching this video by Rise Above.
Blue Sky Animation - Weathering the Storm Inside
The blue sky is a perfect metaphor for the mind. And no matter what happens in life, it's always worth looking for it - what we are looking for is always here!
Circles of Control - A Simple Exercise to Help Manage Worry
It’s normal to worry, but when we worry about about things which we may not be able to control, it can feel hard to manage. Here's an activity called 'circles of control' to help you understand what you can control