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Journaling Exercise for Fear & Anxiety We are living through some of the most challenging and fear-inducing moments of human history. And if I know anything about fear, it is that we first need to understand what’s behind it and then take integrous action that allows us to feel as supported as humanely possible. I’ve created this worksheet to help you filter through your fears and create powerful action steps to support your safety in this difficult time. May it be of the highest service to you.

The Fears

Ask yourself, “What am I afraid of right now?” Make a list, write the story, jot down all the reasons you feel fearful today. Don’t leave anything off the page. This is your space to put it all out there without judgement.

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Now, check in and see where you might be using mental filters. I want to affirm that we are living in a really scary time and that these fears are very valid—all feelings are valid. We just want to see if we might be over-rotating into certain areas and if we can release certain ideas to make our lived experience a little less anxious. Mental filters are our unique way of processing information based on our own experiences. Here are the common mental filters defined by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Common filters are: Catastrophizing: You automatically assume the absolute worst outcome. This is very common for humans, particularly in times like these. But it also feeds irrational fears. If we look at history, yes, worst-case scenarios can come true, but they almost never do. Overgeneralizing: This skews our lens of reality because in this scenario we believe that because something happened once, it will certainly happen again. In this filter, the beliefs don’t have to be personal. Something we’ve witnessed on the news or via other people can also reinforce these beliefs. Superstition: This is where we think something bad might happen if we make a certain choice or move, even if they are completely unrelated to the situation at hand. This also feeds irrational fears and our anxiety. Please review the fears you listed above and notice if they fall into any or all of the cognitive distortions. Which fears fall into which buckets?

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Sorting through the fears Many of our fears might be irrational—though as a I said before, all feelings are valid and the fears can feel really amplified during times of crisis. I want you to do your absolute best to sort through the fears and identify the likelihood of them coming to reality. This exercise will help us see where we might be in a cognitive distortion. FEAR can also be an acronym that you’ve no doubt seen floating around the internet before. It can stand for FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL. I want you to use the exercise below to identify the fear and how likely it is to occur or not. In this way we can see what is real and what is false evidence.

Fear Most likely Not going to happen

Low to medium chance of happening

High chance of happening

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What’s behind the fear Our fears are often tied to survival and psychological safety. For the fears that have a high chance of happening, identify how you feel about those particular fears?

Finding the root of the fear

Where did this belief come from? Close your eyes and visualize the first time you ever felt this way or were made to feel this way.

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Reframing the fear As we saw with the cognitive distortions, not all fears are facts. How can you turn the fear around by citing examples to the contrary or committing to powerful actions that will allow you to feel more safe?

Reducing our Risks Here we want to define what we can do to prevent your fear from materializing. What can we do to mitigate it’s impact or have a backup plan for the worst case scenario? Fear What we can do to

prevent it What we can do for the fear to have less impact

What our plan is for the worst case scenario

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Integrity with our actions We can stay out of our stories by having integrity with our actions. What promises can you make to support your physical and psychological safety at this time? It could be something like staying indoors, daily phone calls to check in on loved ones…whatever you need to do to feel good and safe right now.

Action Frequency Did you honor it, yes or no?

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Leaning into your power Tough times can make us feel powerless. I invite you to lean into your incredible strength and personal power right now. Make a list of your strengths and where you are most courageous, inviting your brain to believe in your own resilience and fortitude—even in the hardest moments. This exercise serves as a reminder that even in the most difficult moments, you are capable.

Set your thought-boundaries Once you have analyzed and hopefully rationalized your fears as much as humanly possible, I invite you to overcome your brain’s negativity bias (we all have it) and lean into optimism (which countless studies demonstrate supports our immune system) by setting parameters around our thoughts so we don’t get carried away by fear. I invite you to classify the types of thoughts you have into three buckets: not allowed, sometimes allowed (if they are constructive and helpful), and encouraged (to encourage you to think more positively and reframe your thoughts).

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Not allowed Sometimes allowed (if they

are constructive and helpful Encouraged (to encourage you to think more positively and reframe your thoughts).

I hope this worksheet helped you lean into your own strength and create powerful and clear plans to support your current reality. We are facing one of the most challenging moments in human history and it can feel incredibly heavy. If these resources are not helpful and you need more support, please reach out to a therapist or medical professional to help you navigate this time. With love and hope, Amina