Jenny - Module 11

I can’t believe how quickly the last 10 weeks flew by.

So, here were my goals for this program and how much progress I made towards them.

1) Not being so scared when I assess clients that they’ll think I’m incompetent, this might make me interact with them more easily and not need to be so focused on seeming professional

Progress – It’s coming. I know my fear of being judged negatively is my Achilles’ heel, but I’m not dreading a new client visit nearly as much. My supervisor commented recently that I don’t seem to be as nervous or “uptight” when she sees me with a new client and that I seem to be making better eye contact, which was nice to hear.

2) Sleep better in the days leading up to presentations

Progress – I also made some improvements there. On the night before a presentation, I still find myself rehearsing the presentation, but I think that’s pretty normal. I’m not dreading them like I use to, so I can sleep a lot more before them.

3) Worry less about presentations and what people are thinking while I’m giving one

Progress – also coming along. When I start worrying about this, I ask myself, “What’s the worst that could happen?” Then I ask myself how likely that is and more often than not, my fear is pretty unlikely, it’s just my anxiety talking.

I’ve also noticed that I feel more comfortable in social situations, generally. If I notice that I’m feeling nervous or anxious, I try to tune into what I’m feeling and see what thoughts I might be having that are fueling the feelings. From there, I can see again, what’s the worst case scenario, and how likely that is to occur. Those two questions have been really helpful to me.

Next steps – My goals are still relevant and I’ll continue to work on them. With the first, I think some of that will come with more experience (at least that’s what people say)

Goals I want to accomplish

  1. Get a job
  2. Date a bit more

Steps I need to take to achieve goals

  1. Start searching through the job sites, including some of the ones through school
  2. Try to appear more open when in social situations (i.e., look around more, make eye contact, don’t stand with arms crossed), be more receptive when friends introduce me to people

Date I’d like to achieve my goals by:
The job I’d like to get soon (within a few months), since I graduate next month. For dating, I can start that now.

My relapse warning signs:

  1. Not making eye contact
  2. Turning down invitations I’d normally accept
  3. Not sleeping well

What I would do if I noticed any of my warning signs:

  1. Use my “what’s the worst that can happen and how likely is that?” questions
  2. Check in with my thoughts to see what’s going on

Read Module 11 reports from the other learners.
   
Mark Ann-Marie Steven