Anxiety
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Fieldwork can be perceived as a stressful time for a lot of students. Receiving constructive feedback, continuous evaluations, and learning new skills can be overwhelming, stressful, and create a sense of uncertainty. It is common for students to express feelings of overwhelm and anxiousness on fieldwork rotation. There are countless strategies to promote calmness and reduce stress. Below are two strategies that you can introduce to your student during times of stress. If found helpful, students can implement these strategies before entering patient rooms, before/after constructive feedback or during a work break.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounded Technique
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounded technique?
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When: you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed you can initiate this grounded technique.
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Why: this technique has shown to reduce anxiety, improve concentration and regulate emotions.​
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How to - Identify:
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5 things you can see
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4 things you can feel
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3 things you can hear
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2 things you can smell
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1 thing you can taste
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Square Breathing
What Is Square Breathing?
When: you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed you can initiate this breathing strategy
Why: to even out your breathing pattern
How to:
1. Inhalation
2. Pause after Inhalation
3. Exhalation
4. Pause after Exhalation.
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This breathing exercise is also commonly referred to as the "box techinque." As you can see below the breathing straetgies can be visualized within a "box" flowchart.
References​
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Greenfield, K. (2023, November 18). How to do square breathing (The 4×4 box method). The Joy Within. https://thejoywithin.org/breath-exercises/square-breathing
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Gupta, S. (2024, April 29). Feeling anxious? Try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/5-4-3-2-1-grounding-technique-8639390
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Stand4Kind. (2020, March 26). Coping skill: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 grounding technique [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lM8pgMgjEs
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Sunnybrook Hospital. (2020, October 5). Box breathing relaxation technique: how to calm feelings of stress or anxiety [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEmt1Znux58
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Woods, K. (2021, July 27). Managing worries around results day – some strategies that might help. https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2021/07/27/managing-worries-around-results-day-some-strategies-that-might-help/