Do you worry about a lot about earthquakes? Is it hard to control the worries?
Are the worries consuming you?
Recent earthquakes have sparked worry. People wonder “when will the BIG ONE happen”? Since childhood, I have heard that the BIG ONE is coming and we need to be prepared. As years have gone by without any quakes, it was easy to not worry about it. However, three earthquakes within a week are certainly a reminder of the possibility of a major earthquake in our community.
While it is natural to worry about earthquakes, when excessive worry of an earthquake consumes us, it can negatively impact our lives. Excessive worries are ruminating thoughts that loop around and around in the mind. Rumination can often feel productive, like you are problem solving, yet it can go on and on without a solution. Rumination of worry thoughts can impact mood, increasing feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, and sadness. When mood is impacted, daily functioning can suffer. It can lead to issues with your physical health, mental health, school/work performance, and relationships. For the sake of our own wellness and healthy functioning, it is important to manage excessive worry.
Here are 5 things you can do to help manage excessive worries about earthquakes in a healthy way.
1. Community support. If there is an earthquake, think about how your community would come together to support one another. Consider the generosity of your neighbours and how they would help others in need. You are not alone.
2. Locus of Control. Often people worry about things that are not within their control.
Focus your thoughts on what you can control: your thoughts, your actions, and your decisions.
3. Thinking Traps. Make a list of your ruminating worries and assess for thinking traps. There are many types of thinking traps that can lead to excessive worry. Some examples include:
· Fortune telling – thinking you know what will happen
· Catastrophizing – predicting the worst-case scenario
· Filtering – focusing only on the negative
Ask yourself, is this worry a thinking trap or is it a fact? Am I confusing thoughts with facts?
4. Defusion. Defusion techniques involve looking AT the thought rather than FROM the thought. Three defusion techniques include:
· Leaves on a stream. Imagine placing your thought on a leaf on a stream and watch the
thought float away. This takes practice! There are many examples of Youtube.
· Thank your brain. When you notice the worry thought, say to yourself “Thanks Brain!”
· Cartoon Voices. When you notice yourself worrying, imagine saying the worries in a
cartoon voice. Surprisingly, this can work!
5. Counselling. If you cannot control your worries, and your worries are negatively impacting your functioning, counselling can help. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is an evidenced based treatment for specific fears. Call us to book a session 778-928-9069
Take care,
Dr. Jennifer Campbell, Registered Psychologist