178 Don’t Let A nxiety Run Your Life
Exercise 8.1: Stand-alone Cognitive Bias Modification As
a first step, download the app of your choice. Try to practice the
cognitive bias modification modules three times a day in a quiet
location or when you are on the go. This is an excellent technique
to practice when you are on a subway, when you are waiting in line,
or simply whenever you feel a lull in the day. Remember, repetition
is key! This is a form of training , after all. Just as infrequent exercise
doesn’t produce noticeable results, you won’t achieve the full ben-
efit from occasional use of this app. Take some time to get familiar
with the app and figure out what times of the day are most condu-
cive to its use.
Exercise 8.2: Cognitive Bias Modification and Exposure
Practice A lthough you will learn more about advanced expo-
sure practice in the next chapter, you can already integrate what
we described earlier in this chapter in the context of exposures.
We know that cognitive biases prevent you from taking in certain
information that’s key to accurately assessing your environment.
Predispositions to see your world through dark- colored classes will
shape how you feel and react to situations you initially perceived as
anx iety- provoking.
First, identif y a major fear that you have been struggling with. It
could be a social situation, a scary object (such as a spider), or even
alarming body sensations (such as panicky feelings). Once you
come up with a scenario you want to work on, try the following:
- Plan on a time when you can encounter your situation. For
example, it could be deciding to attend a party to which
you were invited or climbing up a tall ladder if heights make
you ner vous. - R ight before you confront this situation, practice the cogni-
tive bias modification module of the app. We recommend