Multiple Choice
When experiencing social anxiety, we often become 'mind-readers' and imagine that we can correctly assume what others are thinking about us. 'Mind-reading' is an example of:
A. A Thinking Trap (AKA a Cognitive Distortion)
B. Core Belief
C. Realistic Thinking
D. None of the above.
A! Mind-reading is a thinking trap (or cognitive distortion). This trap happens when we believe that we know what others are thinking and we assume that they are thinking the worst of us.
True or False:
Social Anxiety is an anxiety disorder where we believe that others will judge us negatively (e.g., "they'll think I'm an idiot"), and it is therefore experienced most acutely in situations when we are by ourselves.
False! Social anxiety is experienced most acutely in situations when we are with other people.
Trying not to be noticed, avoiding eye contact, holding or fiddling with something, trying to hide (e.g., sit in corner, hair over face), not talking, or having an escape plan (e.g., sit by door or in aisle, make excuse to leave early) are all examples of...
A. Automatic Thoughts
B. Social Anxiety
C. Coping Thoughts
D. Safety Behaviors
D! These are all examples of safety behaviors.
Explain what the letters in the acronym 'STOPP' stand for.
Stop (Don’t act immediately. Wait.)
Take a breath (Slowly breathe in and out a couple of times.)
Observe (What am I thinking about? What am I focusing on? What am I reacting to? What am I feeling in my body?)
Pull back (Zoom out! See the bigger picture. Is this fact or opinion? Is there another way of looking at this? What would someone else say about it? How does this affect others? What advice would I give a friend in this situation? How important is this situation right now?)
Practice what works (Consider the consequences. What’s the BEST thing to do? Do what will help most!)
What is the rarest M&M color?
A. Brown
B. Red
C. Green
D. Yellow
A. Brown
'Safety Behaviors' are:
A. Subtle forms of avoidance or precautions to try to prevent our fears from coming true.
B. Behaviors that may seem helpful, because they reduce anxiety in the short-term. Unfortunately, they keep anxiety going in the longer term.
C. Used in an attempt to prevent fears from coming true and to feel more comfortable in situations we are anxious about.
D. All of the above.
D. All of the above are true about safety behaviors.
True or False:
The two components of 'mindfulness' are awareness and acceptance.
True! The two components of mindfulness are awareness and acceptance.
Identify whether the following thoughts are facts or opinions.
1. "I listened to my friend talk about their bad day."
2. "No one will ever like me."
1. The first thought is an example of a FACT.
2. The second thought is an example of an OPINION.
Briefly explain how to utilize the 'ABCDE thought challenging' strategy.
ABCDE stands for:
Attention, Believe, Challenge, Discount, Explore Options.
How to challenge thoughts in 5 steps:
Attention! (Notice what your mind is saying.)
Believe? (You don't have to believe everything you think!)
Challenge (Question your thoughts. Consider a different perspective. What's the evidence for the thought? Is this thought fact or opinion? What's the bigger picture (the helicopter view)? What's another way of looking at this? What would someone else say about this?
Discount (Let go of the unhelpful thoughts.)
Explore Options (Choose the best response. What will I do now? Do it mindfully.)
In a website browser address bar, what does “www” stand for?
A. Wireless Website World
B. World Wide Web
C. Which Working Webpage
D. Who What Why
B. World Wide Web
Which of the following is not a strategy to help you challenge unhelpful and distorted thoughts?
A. STOPP
B. Mindfulness Exercises
C. Examining the Evidence
D. ABCDE Thought Challenging Strategy
B. Mindfulness.
Mindfulness exercises help you practice being present in the moment, with a feeling of acceptance. Increasing one's mindfulness can result in reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, improved concentration, and a number of interpersonal benefits, but it is not a strategy that specifically helps you challenge your distorted thinking.
True or False:
In order to break the vicious cycle of social anxiety, we need to change the way we think, and change what we do.
True!
Identify one thing that influences or helps form our core belief system.
Past experiences
Childhood upbringing
Culture
Faith
Values
Current circumstances
Character traits, including genetic influences
"I feel this way because of my past experiences, but I am safe right now" is an example of:
A. Positive coping statement
B. Automatic thought
C. Anxious thought
D. Safety Behavior
A. Positive coping statement
In what year were the first Air Jordan sneakers released?
A. 1975
B. 1984
C. 1980
D. 1995
B. 1984
The NOW acronym stands for:
A. Normal, Odd, Weird.
B. Need, Omit, Want.
C. Now, Often, Wait.
D. Notice, Observe, Wise Mind.
E. Notify, Obey, Watch.
D! The NOW acronym for mindful moments stands for: Notice, Observe, Wise Mind.
Notice where your attention is right now. Observe what you are doing: “I am sitting”, “I am looking”, “I am breathing”. Wise Mind: What should I do now? Continue being mindful? Do something else?
True or False:
We tend to not believe our thoughts, and we usually take the time to stop to question their validity.
False! Automatic thoughts are believable – we tend to automatically believe our thoughts, usually not stopping to question their validity. When another driver cuts me off, I might judge that he’s selfish and thoughtless, but in fact, he might be taking his wife to hospital as she’s about to give birth. Thoughts are not necessarily true, accurate, or helpful. Often based on emotion (rather than facts), which drives our opinion. Don’t believe everything you think!
"Everything is hopeless – I’m totally worthless, no-one likes me, and nothing can change." is an example of:
A. An Automatic Thought
B. A Realistic Thought
C. A Fact
A. An Automatic Thought. This is an example of an automatic thought or thinking trap that could lead to feelings of depression.
It is helpful to ask ourselves whether our thoughts are FACT or OPINION.
If OPINION, then we can:
A. Look at the facts (what we do know about the situation) to challenge our thoughts.
B. Ignore the facts of the situation and make impulsive decisions.
C. Avoid the anxiety-provoking situation altogether.
If FACT, then we can:
A. Make an impulsive decision.
B. Avoid the anxiety-provoking situation altogether.
C. Make choices about the best thing to do in the situation.
A. If our thought is an opinion, we can look at the facts of the situation to help challenge our anxious thoughts.
C. If our thought is a fact, we can then make a choice about the best things to do in the situation to cope with, manage, or overcome our anxiety.
Which singer’s real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta?
A. Madonna
B. Pink
C. Lorde
D. Lady Gaga
D. Lady Gaga
Our ________ is the balanced part of us that comprises our inner knowledge and intuition, where the parts of our mind where thoughts driven by distressing emotions, and more rational thoughts come together, the part of us that just “knows”, that inner truth.
A. Core Belief System
B. Automatic Thoughts
C. Wise Mind
D. Emotional Mind
C. Wise Mind.
The wise mind refers to a balance between the reasonable and emotional halves.
True or False:
We tend to seek out situations that might make us feel anxious.
False! Because we don't want to experience this anxiety, we tend to avoid situations when it might happen, and therefore are unlikely to learn that it could be okay, and we could actually enjoy ourselves.
Give an example of a mindfulness exercise.
Mindful breathing, NOW strategy, any mindful activity, meditation, grounding techniques (such as the 54321 technique, body scan/awareness, mental exercises), etc.
Briefly explain what the coping strategy called ‘The Helicopter View’ means.
'The Helicopter View' helps us to learn to see things differently - see a bigger picture, a different perspective.
How to utilize this strategy:
In any stressful situation, it’s easy to get caught up in the emotion, which skews our view of things. This is when we can utilize 'the helicopter view'.
STOP! Take a Breath. What's the bigger picture?
First, take a moment to think about or write down information about the situation. (What happened? When? Who with? How?)
Next, consider the following:
SELF - What am I reacting to? What does this situation mean to, or say about, me? What’s the worst thing about thinking that, or about the situation?
OTHERS - What would this look like to others involved? What meaning might they give this situation? What might their thoughts & feelings be?
OUTSIDER - How would this seem to someone outside the situation, who’s not emotionally involved? What would someone else say? What would I say to someone if they were in this situation?
WISE MIND - Practice what works! What would be the best thing to do – for me, for others, for this situation? What will help most?
Which vitamin can be obtained from sunlight?
A. Vitamin C.
B. Vitamin A.
C. Vitamin D.
D. Vitamin B-12.
C. Vitamin D.