Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens (6 page)

Write down Chris’s thought-feeling-action chain.

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Elisha

What is Elisha’s thought-feeling-action chain?

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Like Chris and Elisha, you may find it very hard to do certain activities in the presence of others even though you do them perfectly naturally when you are alone. Think of a situation or activity that makes you feel self-conscious.

What are you afraid others might think of you?

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How do you feel when you find yourself in this situation?

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What action goes along with these thoughts and feelings?

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The thought-feeling-action chain happens quickly in anxious situations, so quickly that it often seems beyond our control and we feel helpless to stop it. Does that mean you are doomed to a life of everlasting avoidance? Certainly not!

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Let’s take a closer look at your chain reactions. If you can identify the links, you can strategize how to go about breaking the chain. Go back to the list on page 3 and look at the situations you checked as those that make you anxious. Choose the two that make you most anxious, and see if you can label each link—thought, feeling, and action—in the space below.