Too Old To Keep A Diarry?

Most people consider diary writing an activity for kids or early teens, and not something any 'normal' adult would do. But although the majority of diary writers are kids and teens, many adults keep one also.
If you suffer from anxiety or panic disorder, phobias, or stress I would suggest that now would be a great time to start one for yourself, if you haven't already.

But not the type where you write about all your thoughts, feelings, what you wore to work, what you ate for breakfast, or the girl/guy who you've taken a fancy for. What I'm talking about is a 'success diary'.

What's the difference? Well, a success diary is a little more specific - it cuts out all the waffle and focuses on one area that is likely to be extremely helpful to you. There will be times when your fear, anxiety, and stress might be triggered by a situation or event, but even so you might have been able to cope, one way or another, with the situation anyway. These situations are your successes! And you should write them down, and re-read your entries as often as you can.

Now, when I say specific I mean you don't want to be writing down all your feelings before the event or leading up to the event - all you should do is jot down what the event was, what you did to cope with the situation (if anything at all), and how good and exhilarated you felt afterwards. If your inner voice was saying something positive, like how well you handled the situation, jot that down as well.

My fear, to put a label on it, is public speaking. Recently however, whilst attending a conference at work, I managed to take hold of the microphone during the end question-and-answer session and ask a question in front of 150 people! That's probably no big deal for most of you, but honestly, for me, this is one major success.

So I jotted it down. I neglected all those negative thoughts before hand, those thoughts that said "don't be silly, you can't do it" or "you'll make a fool of yourself", because I don't need or want to remember them. I simple wrote that I spoke over a microphone in front of 150 people at a conference, that it went really well, and that afterwards I knew it was a good experience and I felt a great sense of achievement. Probably about half a page of A4 (I prefer to write my diary by hand that type it on the computer - something theraputic about it). Simple as that.

I have a few more examples in my diary (though none as great as this) but I think you get the idea. Just remember, only write the positive.

And most important of all . . . read it as often as possible, remembering how good you felt after each success. With each new experience added to your diary, your confidence will grow that little bit more.

About The Author (c) Paul Evans Helping those who suffer with anxiety, panic disorders, phobias, stress, and all things related. Suffer with an anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or phobia and the stress that comes with it? For more information and directions to the latest self-help techniques, be sure to visit www.love-my-phobia.com

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Article Title: Too Old To Keep A Diarry?

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