Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong: A Guide to Life Liberated from Anxiety

by Kelly G. Wilson

Trying on some different perspectives can open you up to new ways of being in the world. If you’re struggling with anxiety, this kind of practice can help you start to imagine a world where you can live your life the way you choose, even with feelings of anxiety—regardless of whether the possibility seems impossible to you at the moment. Here’s a little game you can play that might get you started with perspective taking. Game: Letter from the Future Props: Pen and paper or your computer • Difficulty: Somewhat hard This game is played in two rounds. You’ll complete each round by writing a short letter—just the kind of friendly correspondence you might put on a postcard or in an e-mail. Your objective in each round is to explore the world from a slightly different perspective than the one you currently have, although the nature of that difference varies from the first round to the second. Preparation: If you like to write with a pen and paper, set yourself up at a table or desk with these tools at hand. If you’re a committed typist, you can sit down in front of your computer (or your IBM Selectric, if you think this whole personal computer thing is just a fad). Before you write or type anything, though, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, settling yourself in your chair. Without trying very hard to think of anything in particular, allow something that you’ve been bothered about for a long time to come into your thoughts. Since you’ve been at this book for quite a w...