I was out walking my dog Etta this morning.  It was our normal daily walk  and the only thing that made it stand out from any other day was the chance of rain.  A very rare event in Los Angeles.  So I did what most other Angelinos do when there is rain, I prepared for a snowstorm! 

I got my heavy raincoat, umbrella, waterproof boots, scarf, hat and gloves.  Then I got Etta ready and put her fleece lined raincoat on (yes I really did).  As we started out on the walk there were some clouds but I didn't think that the storm was imminent  However, about twenty minutes into the walk it started to drizzle and I started to panic. What if we got caught in a downpour? What if we got drenched? ...what if...what if...what if.... My irrational thoughts ran amuck!

Finally, I challenged the irrational thoughts by truly answering the question.  What was the worst thing that could happen?  In my rational mind I began to talk myself through it.  The worst case scenario was that if we got caught in a downpour, we would get wet.  My rational mind was able to recognize that if that happened we would eventually dry! 

Also, I had prepared for the rain.  I dressed myself and the dog for rain and had all the accoutrements to keep us dry.   As I realized the silliness of my irrational thinking I was able to enjoy the rest of the walk and welcome the downpour if it ever came.  The fact that I had taken time to prepare for my anxiety and stayed in a conscious state of mind really helped to defuse my worry.  

Although getting caught in the rain seems like a silly thing to worry about, often times people can get stuck on irrational worries that once brought out into the open and examined feel silly.  It's important to prepare, when possible, for events that have the potential to cause anxiety.  Using self-talk is an excellent tool to access rational thinking. And it is from the rational part of your brain that you can begin to identify what you can do to prepare for anxiety.