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SWISH
TECHNIQUE:
For the Relief of Performance Anxiety
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This "Swish Technique" is for the
relief of performance anxiety."
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It can help you excel in all types of
test situations such as exams.
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It can help with public speaking, sports
performance, and can even help you cope with phobias and some fears such
as fear of driving on a freeway.
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This is one of the most powerful "quick-fix" methods available for these
types of issues.
The Moment of
Anxiety
Sit or lean back and recline comfortably with your
eyes closed. Steady your breathing and relax your body as much as you
can for a few moments.
Now
create, in your mind's eye, an associated image of yourself, looking out
of your own eyes, just at the moment of having to deal with the
anxiety-causing situation.
It must be a still picture, and as vivid and
sharp as you can make it, filling your whole field of vision, the colors
bright and alive, with you looking and feeling just as uncomfortable as
you can possibly imagine.
Make the
picture big and include anything that will make it more lifelike such as
other people around you, their expressions, the scenery, sounds, smell,
touch, etc.—anything.
When you
have that picture vivid enough that it actually makes you squirm, then
you've got it right. We will call that picture the "moment of anxiety."
Giving it a name makes it easy for you to recall later on, but for now,
just put it to one side.
Moment of
Achievement
Now for
something more comfortable. This time you are going to create an image
of yourself just at the moment when you have SUCCESSFULLY dealt with the
problem. This view is disassociated, meaning you see yourself in the
picture. Again make it as vivid as is humanly possible and do the same
"tricks" as before to make it truly lifelike.
We will
call this one the "moment of achievement." In it, you should be looking
absolutely as if you truly have just been incredibly successful with the
specific situation.
When you
get it right, when it makes you feel good, allow yourself to enjoy it
for a moment, then imagine it shrinking, becoming smaller and smaller,
with the colors becoming less and less pronounced, until you are left
with a small black-and-white picture the size of a postage stamp. Then
put it to one side, just as you did the first one.
Step 1. Pick up
the "moment of anxiety" picture, and make sure it fills your entire
field of vision, just as sharp and lifelike, just as "squirm-making" as
it was before, but with an important addition.
The small,
black-and-white "moment of achievement" picture is tucked into the
bottom right-hand corner of your "moment of anxiety" picture.
Step 2.
When you have that image clearly in your mind, just say to yourself:
"One - two - three... S-W-I-S-H," at the same time exchanging the
pictures in your mind so that the "moment of achievement" becomes the
large color picture and the "moment of anxiety" shrinks to the size of a
postage stamp tucked into the bottom right-hand corner, becoming
black-and-white as it does so.
Step 3. Enjoy it
for a few moments then let your mind drift to some neutral place. This
can be anywhere you like—a room in your house, the park, a deserted
beach, anywhere, as long as it's a place where you are comfortable and
at ease. It's very important that you perform this switch to a neutral
place each time.
Now start
again with step one and continue to repeat the sequence while gradually
increasing the speed. After a while, you will find that the pictures
exchange so easily and so rapidly that you scarcely have any time to see
the "moment of anxiety" before it is replaced with the "moment of
achievement."
REPEAT
5 TIMES:
Starting all over with the "anxiety" picture big and bright: One
- two - three... S-W-I-S-H... exchange pictures with the
"achievement" one getting big and bright and the "anxiety" one shrinking
way down (to a small black and white picture in
the corner). Enjoy the "(moment of)
achievement" picture for a few moments... then let your mind drift to
your neutral place.... [pause]
[NOTE:
The copy in parenthesis in green above may be dropped as you speed up
the process.]
Repeat in
sets of five times in a row, opening your eyes and checking your
progress in between sets, until the pictures change instantly right from
the start, or you find that you simply cannot produce the "moment of
anxiety" picture at all.
Then when
that happens, you have programmed yourself for success, rather than
failure. You will find that when you actually get to the event you have
been working on, you will feel confident and easy, and able to do your
best as a result.
NOTE:
If you have someone read the instructions to you,
it may be easier for you to do the process in the beginning. After a few
rounds, you might be delightfully surprised how easy it is for you to do
it on your own from then on.
Here is an
example using driving test fear. The "moment of anxiety" could be
sitting in the car, looking and feeling very anxious and nervous,
perhaps having trouble with the seat belt and the examiner looking
stern.
The
"moment of achievement" could be seeing yourself in a large colorful
picture with a big smile on your face, receiving congratulations from
the examiner and experiencing a feeling of excitement and jubilation.
Maybe even a congratulatory "thumbs up" from a friend.
The
neutral place could be simply relaxing in front of the television.
Top
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According to the
National Institute of Mental Health, psychotherapy only has a 20% success
rate.
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I have a 97%
success rate, and over
37+ years experience.
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THIS IS AN ALL INCLUSIVE
WELCOMING PRACTICE
I honor and respect your race,
religion, culture, sexual orientation and way of life including senior
citizens and those with disabilities.
I also welcome adults in
consensual, sane and safe, alternative sexual and other creative lifestyle
choices including those in the LGBTQ+ community.
Confirm
appointment location with Dr. Ruth prior to first meeting.
OLD ADDRESS
4295 Gesner St.
San Diego CA 92117
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