Series of Psychology Batch 2 (Final): Midfulness for Managing Anxiety

The last session Series of Psychology was held on July 29, 2021. It was started with Ibu Fitri asked the participants to write things that make them anxious on the Jamboard App. Then, Ibu Fitri explained the c between anxiety and fear is that fear has specific and clear sources. Meanwhile, anxiety has a vague source that makes it hard to deal with.

When feeling anxious, our body keeps in an alert mode all the time. So, we often experience fatigue. When feeling anxious, do a reality check. Often, what makes us anxious does not exist. For instance, a student shared that she feels anxious that she does not understand her field of study. Ibu Fitri asked, which part of her field of study that she does not understand. Is it all or just a part of it? After finding the part that she needs to work on, the student has to focus to improve her knowledge on the topic that she struggling with.

One of the strategies to overcome anxiety is mindfulness training. It focuses our mind on the present, not worrying about what happened in the future or the past. The 4-7-8 (inhale-hold-exhale) breathing technique can be utilized for mindfulness training. Also, doing mastery or pleasure activities can reduce anxiety. Nova Sartika Wulansari, a grantee from ITS, questioned whether it is important to differentiate fear and anxiety. Ibu Fitry answered that it is important to clarify the source. If the source is real, we can address it. Yet, if the source is unrealistic, we need to calm ourselves.