think	through	how	and	when	you	will	integrate	the	techniques	into	your	day-
to-day	routine.
Outside	of	your	responsibilities—work,	school,	volunteering,	childcare,
social	life,	family	obligations—what	do	you	do	for	yourself?	When	you	do
have	downtime,	how	do	you	currently	spend	it?	People	with	anxiety	often	feel
as	if	their	downtime	is	unpredictable,	that	they	are	at	the	mercy	of	others,
their	schedules,	or	their	anxiety.	Stop	this	pattern	by	looking	at	the	big	picture
of	your	life.	Look	for	opportunities	where	you	can	deliberately	schedule
periods	of	time	to	work	on	your	anxiety	strategies.
Review	what	you	learned	in	the	last	two	chapters	(looking	at	your
notebook	can	help)	and	identify	which	techniques	you	want	to	start	with.	How
often?	What	times	or	days	of	the	week	are	best?	You	don’t	have	to	try	every
technique;	start	with	two	or	three	that	particularly	resonate	with	you.	Try	to
do	your	anxiety	work	at	the	same	time	or	times	each	day.	A	consistent	time
gives	the	brain	a	cue	that	will	speed	the	“neurons	that	fire	together	wire
together”	process.
Track	Your	Progress
Tracking	progress	works	for	many	things,	like	losing	weight	or	saving	money.
And	tracking	works	with	anxiety	reduction,	too.	It’s	essential	to	long-term