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For more advice on getting started
writing and how to meet successfully deadlines, please read now.
Many situations or activities,
such as writing, taking tests, competing in sports, or speaking before a large
audience, may make us anxious or apprehensive. It's important to remember that a
moderate level of anxiety is helpful and productive. That flow of adrenaline is
a natural response that helps get us ready for action. Without it, we might not
perform as well.
If we let our anxiety overwhelm
us, it can cause problems. If we control that anxiety, however, we can make it
work for us. One way to do that is to use some of the coping strategies listed
below.
Coping Strategies:
- Focus
your energy by rehearsing the task in your head.
- Consciously
stop the non-productive comments running through your head by replacing
them with productive ones.
- If
you have some "rituals" for writing success, use them.
Examples:
- Follow
a protocol you may have for organizing your time. Use a favorite pen if
you have one.
- Spend
a few minutes doing some relaxation exercises.
- Take
a break: physically walk away from the situation for a few minutes if you
can.
Relaxation Strategies
- Stretch!
If you can't stand up, stretch as many muscle groups as possible while
staying seated.
- Try
tensing and releasing various muscle groups. Starting from your toes,
tense up for perhaps five to ten seconds and then let go. Relax and then go on to
another muscle group.
- Breathe
deeply. Close your eyes; then, fill your chest cavity slowly by taking
four of five short deep breaths. Hold each breath until it hurts, and then
let it out slowly.
- Use
a calming word or mental image to focus on while relaxing. If you choose a
word, be careful not to use an imperative. Don't command yourself to "Calm
down!" or "Relax!"
(based
on: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_anxiety.html
)
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Coping with
Writing Anxiety