How to Stop Worrying About The Worst Case Scenario - A Step-by-Step Stress-Management Exercise

The effects of the pandemic and economic crisis have caused a surge in stress-related problems among people around the world. Financial stresses are particularly common, with many people struggling to pay bills and make ends meet. In the United States 9 out of 10 people expressed concern about future inflation.

Money concerns can also be a strain on relationships and marriages, leading to increased tension and a breakdown in communication.

Unemployment levels have been on the rise as businesses face closure due to a lack of customers and funding.

These lingering economic issues have caused a significant amount of stress and anxiety, leaving many feeling helpless and overwhelmed.

2 Types of Coping Strategies: 

When it comes to effective stress management, there are 2 core strategies: emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping.

Emotion-focused coping strategies involve methods and protocols that allow individuals to better manage and regulate their negative emotions, such as anxiety, anger, or sadness.

Examples of emotion-focused coping strategies include relaxation techniques such as deep relaxation breathing, including the physiological sigh and paced diagrammatic breathing, to trigger the body's relaxation response by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Progressive muscle relaxation and some forms of evidence-based self-hypnosis can also be incredibly helpful. 

Emotion-focused coping strategies also involve cognitive techniques such as positive self-talk and cognitive restructuring, cognitive reframing, and active visualization. 

Positive self-talk, for example, is a way of talking to oneself positively and constructively, often by first recognizing and interrupting automatic negative self-talk. Cognitive restructuring and reframing involve identifying maladaptive thinking patterns and replacing them with more rational, helpful thoughts.

Active visualization is a method of creating desired outcomes in the mind's eye, either by using imagery or metaphor that best fits their particular situation or by literally visualizing themselves as having achieved their most important goals.

The brain is like a computer, and it can't tell the difference between what's really happening and what you say is happening. It also only knows if something good might happen if you tell it about the world around you. 

And when you're in a state of chronic stress, it tends to generate a lot of negative thoughts and appraisals unless you interrupt it with positive, action-oriented self-talk.

Emotion-focused coping strategies can help us to stay calm and in control when things are difficult. It can help us communicate more effectively with others and figure out how to solve problems. This way, we can handle stressful situations without getting too upset.

Problem-Focused-Coping (Solution-Focused Problem Solving) 

On the other hand, problem-focused coping strategies involve developing and using solution-focused techniques to help manage real-world problems, challenges, and difficult situations such as money problems, interpersonal (i.e., family or couple-conflict), and career transitions.

Problem-focused coping strategies involve methods that allow an individual to directly address the source of their stress, in the real world, such as seeking social support, identifying and accessing community resources, and making significant lifestyle changes. These strategies can help an individual gain control over the external sources of their stress, allowing them to better cope with and navigate through a difficult situation.

How to Stop Worrying About the "Worst-Case Scenario" 

One of the most critical problem-focused coping strategies for people going through serious life challenges is imagining and confronting the "Worst Case Scenario" as a possible outcome for their current situation.

Many people have strong emotional reactions to things that haven't even happened and, in many cases, never will happen. But on the off chance that a negative outcome will occur, imagining, planning for, and making peace, so to speak, with an imagined worst-case scenario.

Many people have strong emotional reactions to things that may or may not actually happen. It can be beneficial to imagine and plan for the worst-case scenario to cope with potential adverse outcomes. Doing this enables an individual to make peace with what could occur by allowing them to develop clear strategies and action plans to deal with possible negative outcomes. This, in turn, can assist in reducing anticipatory anxiety and prepare them to respond quickly and effectively should the worst-case scenario happen.

Developing a solid action plan for the "worse case scenario" can be a powerful stress reliever because it removes the fear and uncertainty of not knowing what to do when facing a difficult situation. Facing the worst-case scenario creates a feeling of control, which can help reduce stress and anxiety.

So, how do you create an action plan if you're worried about a worst-case scenario?

You might want to try this exercise, which can be especially useful for those who experience a lot of fear, worry, or anticipatory anxiety.

It's a good idea to do the "Worse But Realistic Case Scenario Exercise" in the morning before you go to bed at night. This can help you feel less worried and stressed throughout the day so that you can get a good night's sleep. And of course, a regular healthy sleep habit is one of our most powerful stress management strategies there is.

Note: as with any stress management technique - or high-stress situation, if you feel the anxiety or stress is too overwhelming, contact your family doctor immediately and let them know you need help. Otherwise, here's how to do the:

Worst Case but Realistic Scenario Exercise:

• Visualize the worst-case but realistically possible outcome that is causing you distress.

• Imagine the worst possible (but again, realistic) things that could happen in your situation.

• Imagine what it would look and feel like if that negative but realistic outcome took place, such as a job loss or relationship breakup.

• Try not to "catastrophize" but merely visualize objectively and emotionally what it would be like.

• Think of a time in the past when you experienced and overcame a similar worst-case scenario.

• What personal strengths or super-powers did you use to overcome past challenges?

• Now, action-plan how you'll take responsibility for yourself if any of these current worst-case but realistic scenarios actually happen to you.

• Consider what specific self-care action-steps you can take to maximize your well-being as navigate the worst-case senario.

• Writing this down can be very helpful, both to help you processes what you're experiencing emotionally (so it's easy to let go of) and so you have an actual real-world action-plan you can use or refer to if needed. You can then put the action plan and the worst-case scenario out of your mind and into a drawer or away on a shelf – in the real world.

• What kind of social support resources are there that you can access if needed?

• Which family members and/or friends will you contact, and what specific requests will you make of them should the worst-case but realistic scenario arise?

• What community resources (for example, faith community, governmental, not-for-profits, etc.) are available and would be most helpful to you in your community- if needed?

• Do a quick internet search and write down the most high-value community resources and their contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses.

• Next, write out a simple, step-by-step action plan to follow should the worst-case but realistic scenario or scenarios arise.
• You can make an action-plan by first thinking of everything you need to do and writing them down as you brainstorm. Then organize what you've brainstormed correctly, starting with the most critical first.

• Wonderful! You now have an action-plan!

• Accept that although these outcomes may be real possibilities, they are not necessarily set in stone. Be grateful for the learning and growth they may potentially bring and enjoy the deep sense of relief having an action-plan to rely on now gives you.

• Finally, focus on the most positive and desirable outcome once you've in theory, experienced and used your action plan to effectively navigate this worst-case but realistic scenario.

• One way to do this is by using the Best Possible Self Exercise - but with an emphasis on what it might look and feel like to be your best-possible-self during and or once the worst-case scenario has passed.

The Worse Case but Realistic Scenario Exercise can provide a valuable tool for coping with distress and overwhelm by helping to reduce the influence of negative thoughts and assisting in creating a clear action-plan should the worst-case scenario be realized. It is an effective way to help you accept what is realistically possible while maintaining hope for a positive outcome.

The power of visualization and imagination is huge, and when used in a way that helps you to take actionable steps to accept and prepare for the worst-case scenario (while also opening up to the possibility of something even better), it can be an incredibly powerful tool for creating positive change in our lives.

 

Hope that helps! @YourCoachDavid

Your Coach David is a former Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist and Clinical Behavior Consultant turned Certified Stress Management & Sleep Science Coach. He's also an International Sports Science Association (ISSA) Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Nutritionist.