As a parent we often find ourselves in stressful situations. In a matter of seconds, relative peace can turn into a cacophony of chaos and reckless abandon. A happily playing child can turn into a raging bull. Two loving brothers can in seconds become kung fu fighting wrestling ninjas. And the beautiful dinner you had slaved over can be ruined in minutes, as you become carried away trying to work out exactly what the 10 year olds  maths question is actually asking. Or maybe you are so engrossed in writing your latest blog post that all of a sudden the house around you starts siphoning out of control. 

When studying Cognitive Behavioural Therapy one of the tools we used in our many role plays as Counsellor, was to ask the question      

                                                     “what’s the worst thing that can happen?”

It was a question that is useful for those that suffer high levels of stress and anxiety but also for those that find themselves in circumstances where they feel overwhelmed or agitated by any situation they feel is spiralling out of their control.

This has now become one of the major tools I use on a regular basis to help keep stress levels manageable and to prevent this feeling of being overwhelmed. [Read more...]