An introduction to avoidance

Avoidance not only reinforces anxiety, but it also undermines potential.

As you commit to moving towards anxiety, uncertainty, and discomfort, there are several patterns that can undermine your best attempts at avoiding avoidance.

● Situational avoidance reinforces fear and creates demoralization.

● Experiential avoidance during situational anxiety creates habitual distance from the present moment and burnout.

● Cognitive avoidance creates habitual worry and rumination that reinforces catastrophic thinking and pervasive negative beliefs.

● Somatic avoidance creates habitual distance from the present moment and difficulty maintaining self-care.

● Emotional avoidance creates habitual distance from the present moment and difficulty experiencing intimacy and vulnerability.

● Emotion-driven behaviors are problematic avoidance behaviors such as addiction and fighting that create a new cycle of suffering.