they	are	a	great	way	to	maximize	your	results.
A	NOTE	TO	READERS:
	
The	clients	in	the	examples	used	throughout	the	book	are	composites,
and	the	names	are	fictional	to	protect	anonymity.
Getting	Started
Keep	a	notebook	or	journal	handy	so	you	can	jot	down	your	thoughts	about
the	strategies	as	you	try	them	out.	Your	notes	will	help	you	reflect	on	what
you’re	learning	and	how	your	new	skills	can	help	you	better	cope	with
anxiety.	The	more	you	practice	and	write	about	the	strategies,	the	faster
they’ll	become	automatic	responses	to	your	anxiety	triggers.
Once	you	have	your	notebook	and	are	ready	to	start,	take	a	moment	to
think	about	your	schedule.	Consider	how/when	you	want	to	work	on	this
material	and	when	you	can	best	fit	it	into	your	general	routine.	To	really	get
up	to	speed	with	your	new	skills,	daily	practice	is	the	way	to	go—even	if	you
can	set	aside	only	a	few	minutes.	The	point	is,	give	some	thought	to	how
you’re	going	to	integrate	this	book	into	your	routine.
If
	
you’re	in	the	middle	of	an	acute	symptom	flare-up,	I	encourage	you	to
go	directly	to	the	relevant	section.	So,	for	example,	if	you’re	consumed	by
worried	or	intrusive	thinking,	start	with