I receive a lot of emails from people in earthquake zones. After reading what I have written about a fear of earthquakes, they say they cannot take their minds off what might happen. They cannot focus on their daily lives because they fret about what could happen to them. That is the key to their anxiety.

“I am the Queen of What-Ifs,” said one lady who called. I suggested she become the Queen of What-Is.

The root of their common problem is that rather than seeing what is happening now, they worry about what-if.

Our fertile imaginations can scare us silly.

It is critical to focus on what-is.

By lasering in on what-is, we do not allow ourselves to think beyond now. This allows our fullest concentration to complete what we are doing.

Here is the best way to deal with what-if thinking:

1. Recognize that whatever is worrying you is not happening now.
2. Decide what you would want to do to resolve the what-if.
3. Find out all you can about what is causing the worry.
4. Create a solution. Put it away in your mental filing cabinet.

For example, we have a gas meter. In the event of an earthquake, we may have to shut the gas down. Instead of worrying about what to do, be pro-active. I have placed a spanner next to the gas line. In an emergency, I can shut it off.

I have placed this away in my mental filing cabinet. When earthquake talk arises, I  have resolved the gas problem.

This technique can be applied to anything. Know what the what-if is, develop your solution, store it away.

With earthquakes:

• Make sure you know where your water, electricity and gas switches are to turn them all off.
• Make sure you have sufficient water stored away.
• Have enough food to last two to three days.
• Plan with family members what to do if you are not at home, where to meet, how to contact each another.
• Keep comfortable shoes and a change of clothes with water and protein bars in the trunk of your car.
• Keep the same pieces in a place at home if an earthquake occurs while you are there.
• Keep an emergency battery-powered radio available to be abreast of developments.

Meanwhile, remember to let go of your what-ifs.  Think what-is.

Do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net