Feeling anxious from time to time is part of being human. It’s how we respond to anxiety that determines its impact on our lives.
Avoiding fears is often the quickest way to get relief from anxiety, but it comes with a hefty cost: Repeatedly avoiding anxiety-provoking situations tricks us into thinking we’re not capable of handling them. This makes it more likely we’ll keep avoiding whatever scares us, which severely limits our growth and happiness.
The Cycle of Avoidance info sheet brings attention to this common anxiety trap, using a diagram to show how avoiding anxiety worsens it over time. Seeing that avoidance is a dead end motivates clients to move toward—rather than away from—what scares them. This info sheet teaches this valuable insight in a compact, straightforward way.
Use this resource with clients who struggle to respond in a healthy way to their anxiety. This applies to clients with anxiety-related disorders, but it’s also helpful for anyone who’s fallen into a pattern of avoidance. The info sheet pairs especially well with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
To encourage reflection, explore clients’ personal experience of the cycle of anxiety. Some questions to consider:
- What are your anxiety triggers?
- How and when do you avoid what scares you?
- What is the cost of this avoidance?
Challenge clients to choose a lower-level fear to confront rather than avoid. Then help them come up with a plan to take small, but consistent steps toward that goal.
