Fix-Its
We want to talk about a new idea this week - “fit-its.” Fix-its are anything we do that stops us from being brave. Watch this video below and learn more about them!
We want to teach you about a new idea this week - “fix-its.” Fix-its are anything we do that help us feel more calm at first but do not help us face our fears. Even though fix-its help us at first, they make us feel more fear and anxiety later.
For example, Sally washes her hands over and over with way too much soap to keep her feeling clean. Sometimes she washes her hands for five or ten minutes without stopping. For Sally, washing too much is a “fix-it.” Washing makes Sally feel better at first, so she will probably keep washing. The problem is that when she washes so much, it tricks her brain into thinking there really are germs on her hands. Even more important, it does not give her a chance to face her fears and find out whether she would get sick without washing, and if she does get sick, if she could handle it. In order to make sure she’s able to challenge her fears, Sally sat down with her mom and wrote a list of fix-its.
Sally’s fix-its include:
- Washing her hands too much
- Asking too many questions about her fears
- Spending a lot of time researching her fears on the internet
- Carrying a special object everywhere she goes
Think about some of your fix-its. What are they? How do they keep you from challenging your fears?
Identifying Fix-Its
Now that you’ve learned what fix-its are, work with your parent and write down fix-its you do on this Identifying Fix-Its worksheet! Or make your own by listing the fix-its on your own paper.
Here is a list of common fix-its:
- Washing too much
- Checking too much (like locks or behind doors, or where exits are, or where my parent is)
- Asking too many questions about fears
- Spending lots of time researching fears on the Internet
- Carrying a special object everywhere
- Distracting myself so I do not think about my fears
- Always having a phone with me
Did you come up with any? Finding fix-its can help you think of new things to put on your mission plans.
For example, Sally put these things on her mission plan:
- Wash my hands for 1 minute before eating
- Wash my hands for 30 seconds only once per hour
- Wash my hands for 30 seconds only after I eat or go to the bathroom
- Ask mom only one question about my health every day
- Wash my hands without my favorite soap before eating
- Wash my hands without my favorite hand sanitizer before eating
- Touch a public restroom doorknob and washing for thirty seconds
Can you think of anything to put on your mission plans that will help with fix-its? Your parent has also thought about ways they can help you face your fears better throughout your mission plan practice. Work with your parent to figure out some new things to put on your mission plans and make sure to work on these new mission plan steps this week!