Take some time and think about how things have gone for you so far in LUNA. Think about the anxieties or fears you have worked on so far and consider the progress you have made. Before creating a new plan of action, it’s important to keep in mind the goals you are currently working on and think about how close you are to reaching those goals or overcoming your fears.
Now, let’s go over a few reasons why you might want to start on a new plan of action:
#1- There are not a lot of opportunities for you to work on your current plan of action.
Some of us have fears or worries that don’t come up super often. For example, if you have a fear of doctor visits, then you might only come across this fear twice a year during routine check-ups. If your current plan focuses on a fear you don’t face very often, you may want to start on a new plan that focuses on a fear or worry that’s easier for you to come across. Working on this new plan and your current plan at the same time will give you more opportunities to practice exposure activities and face your fears!
#2- You feel stuck on your current plan and don't feel like you are making any progress.
If this is the case for you, try talking to your parent first before you start making a new plan of action. You and your parent can try out different solutions to see if there is anything that might help you make progress on your current plan. Sometimes this can work! But other times, it may help more to start on a new plan and mix things up. Switching your focus to a new plan of action could help you build up the confidence or motivation that you need to go back to your old plan and start making progress!
#3- You have completed your current plan of action by successfully reaching your goal- or you are very close to reaching it.
If this is true for you, that’s wonderful! You have done a great job. Now is probably a great time to start working on a new fear or worry by making a new plan of action.
#4- You have a fear or anxiety you will be facing soon that you need to work on.
For example, George will be moving to a new school in a few months, and he is anxious about making new friends. He may want to go ahead and start on a plan of action to help him overcome this anxiety. Sophia will be starting her summer break soon, and she is nervous about her daily schedule changing. She also might want to get started on a new plan to help her work on this fear before her summer break starts.
#5- You feel motivated and ready to take on another challenge.
If you are feeling energized and excited by the progress you have made, or if you are excited to work on a fear or anxiety from another area of your life, this could be a sign that you are ready to start on a new plan of action. You may want to try working on a new plan and your current plan at the same time! You might feel more comfortable using the skills you have learned, making it easier to tackle a new fear or worry.
#6- You have a fear or worry that has started causing more problems, or you have a new fear that wasn't there before.
In this case, it could be helpful for you to make a plan of action focusing on your new fear or a plan of action focusing on your fear that has started causing you more problems. You could then try working on the new plan and your current plan at the same time.
Do any of the reasons above apply to you? Do you think it makes sense for you to start working on another plan of action? While thinking about these questions, keep in mind where you are at with your current plans and goals.
There are also times when it might NOT be the best idea to start on another plan of action.
For some of you, it might be more important for you to stay focused on the fear or worry you are working on right now. For example, Sophia has been putting a lot of time and effort into her current plan of action. She has been practicing exposure activities every day to help her overcome her social anxiety, but she is not that close to meeting her goal yet. Even though Sophia has other fears and worries she wants to work on, her social anxiety is causing the most problems for her right now, and it is the fear she would like to overcome the most. Sophia feels like she needs some more time to focus on her social anxiety before she starts working on another fear or worry. However, if Sophia ends up getting stuck or if she stops making any progress on this plan, she may then want to make a new plan of action and work on a different fear for a while.
After a few more weeks of only focusing on her social anxiety, Sophia finally feels ready to start working on another anxiety as well! In just a moment, you will get to see how Sophia manages working on two plans at once.
Talk to your parent about what you think you should do! Then, decide if you are going to keep focusing on your current plan of action, or if you would like to add on a new one.
If you would like to create a new plan of action to work on, here is a quick reminder of the steps for making a plan of action:
Step 1: Choose the fear, anxiety, or worry you want to tackle
Step 2: Choose a specific goal you want to reach based on the anxiety you chose
Step 3: Brainstorm different steps or exposure activities to complete
Step 4: Give each exposure activity a rating using the anxiety intensity scale
Step 5: Order the activities from least to most scary
Step 6: Choose a motivation booster for each activity OR decide how many points you will get for completing each activity
Remember, use the My Plan of Action worksheet to create your new plan and look back at Module 4 for more information about how to make a plan of action.