Learning to Navigate Anxiety Talk with Make Shit Up Mondays

Themes: Anxiety, Reality checking
Helpful for: Anxiety, Relationships, Attachment Difficulties

I recently started introducing the idea of “make shit up Mondays” to my clients. It was something that started in jest, but has now become a wonderful source of conversation and reflection for people. The concept really came about because of clients who were dealing with anxiety. When anxiety is high, individuals can have a hard time separating what is really happening - and what might be happening in their mind or beliefs. Through our talk therapy, I began to push back and remind clients they might be making something up. It’s now become a staple of our conversations - here’s why:

Having the freedom to laugh and joke about what they’re experiencing helps people feel more authentic and genuine during their therapy sessions. It’s grounding and also lets us explore the situations where someone is “making shit up”. I’ve had people come in and say that they thought their partner was mad at them but they realized they were making that up - and we can begin to look at why that happened.

It’s moments like these that serve as a gentle reminder to check in with ourselves, to ask the question: "What did I make up this week?" Perhaps we convinced ourselves someone didn’t want to hang out or be with them, only to realize that it was our anxiety speaking, not them. Recognizing that truth or lie is important to managing anxiety or other difficult moments.

Obstacles v. Barriers

One of the other reasons I love Make Shit Up Monday is because it helps us decide what is a true obstacle and what is a barrier. In the grand scheme of things, we’re faced with only two true barriers: being born and dying. Everything else, every obstacle we encounter along the way, is merely a blip on the radar, a temporary inconvenience in the journey of life. Yet, all too often, we allow these obstacles to morph into insurmountable barriers, particularly when anxiety rears its ugly head.

But here’s the thing: we have the power to dismantle these barriers, to transform obstacles into opportunities for growth and self-discovery. It’s a matter of shifting our perspective, of learning to navigate the twists and turns of life with grace and resilience. By understanding what is REAL and what is not, we can better handle those obstacles.

Make Shit Up Mondays isn’t just for therapy. It’s a chance to self-check what we’re feeling or thinking against what’s really going on… and a moment to step back and reflect on the barrier we think we’re facing. Give it a shot - and see what you can really experience when you give yourself the chance to think through it all.