The New Year can kick off with a brand new you that refuses to be overwhelmed by your emetophobia. A few tips and tricks can help immensely, starting with a schedule overhaul.
Ready? Here we go:
Review your schedule. Perhaps you’re doing what we all tend to do: cramming your schedule full of way too many activities and not giving yourself a chance to decompress. Endless activity leads to stress and anxiety which, in turn, can heighten the severity of your vomit phobias and fears.
Go at your schedule with a red editing pen and slash out anything you neither want nor have time to do. Learn to say no instead of yes unnecessary activities that only stress you out. Keep your health and well-being in mind. If being around loads of food or crowds freak you out, keep large dinner parties and similar activities to a minimum. When you do attend large, food-filled gatherings, focus on the interactions and joy you get from family and friends – not on the buffet table.
Pencil in time for yourself and activities you enjoy. Better yet, forget the pencil and write them in your schedule with a big, fat permanent marker.
Call out anxiety when it surfaces. Just because it’s a new year, new month or even a new day doesn’t mean that old anxiety isn’t going to come lurking around. Stuffing it down or trying to ignore it only makes it worse. Addressing its existence can instead make it weaker and less intrusive.
Give it a name if you wish to make its arrival a bit more amusing. Let’s say you call it Henry. When Henry starts pumping those telltale butterflies into your stomach or making your neck muscles crunch up, let him know you’re aware of his presence. Then have a plan to sit through his antics so he’ll weaken and go away.
“Hey Henry, I notice you’re coming to visit,” you can say. “How nice of you to make sure I know you’re still around, but I’m sick of you getting in the way of living my life to the fullest. My acknowledgement and deep breathing will send you promptly off into the distance.”
Don’t forget to bid Henry adieu as he dissipates then disappears. And don’t forget to breathe!
Having an “if…then” plan can be a grand idea for dealing with Henry or any other unwanted habit that comes kicking around, according to PsyBlog. An “if…then” plan is simply a plan of action you take “if” that habit crops up. Your acknowledgement of Henry is a prime example. If Henry comes calling, then you’ll thank him for his visit and take three very deep breaths, unclenching your shoulders, relaxing your neck and focusing on something serene.
Be nice to yourself. You don’t have to be kind to Henry, but you should be kind to yourself. Always. Overcoming emetophobia can be a tough task, and you should always give yourself credit for working toward a solution. Take a cue from Winston Churchill, a master of really cool quotes. Here’s one that can apply to beating your emetophobia:
“Never, never, never, never give up.”
Henry may be strong, but you with enough practice you’ll end up the victor in every way. You’ll also have plenty of fun stuff on your schedule to fully enjoy the new year and the new you who is focused on recovery.
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