Get Creative Connecting with Fear and Anxiety

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The sixth unit of the CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Course focuses on “Staff Fear or Anxiety.” And to get participants thinking about our human responses to fear or anxiety, the Instructor Guide asks trainers to have a volunteer “make a loud noise wen they hear/see [a] cue.” The Guide goes on to say that “you want this to be unexpected so as to surprise/startle the group.” After this event occurs, the instructor is able to focus participants on the fact that our responses to fear and anxiety are both “psychological” and “physiological.” When I teach this unit, I like to see how many different ways I can get participants to recognize this point.

For instance, instead of having a participant make a loud noise, I like to tell participants that we will be having a pop-quiz. “Nothing to worry about,” I tell them, “but if you don’t score at least nine out of ten, I will ask you to stay a little after we end at 4:00, so I can bring you up to speed.” This, as you can imagine, gets people anxious in a lot of ways. “10 questions?” “I may have to stay after 4:00?” Heartrates go up. Shortly after making this announcement, I cut the activity – there is no quiz – and we discuss their psychological and physiological reactions.

Another activity I have used requires participants to “review the information from the morning session by preparing one of a variety of “products.” To one table, I will ask them to prepare a poem detailing our learning; another table will be asked to create a skit; another table will be asked to create a song. As I assign these activities, I watch jaws drop. Then I cut the activity and we discuss our physiological and psychological responses. At least one person is usually disappointed they don’t get to perform a song!

If these activities don’t work for you, I also have asked for volunteers. After choosing 4-6 people, I have the taller (and therefore heavier) participants line-up in front of my smaller participants. I then inform the group that we are going to have the taller folks “trust-fall” into the smaller folks. Usually, this creates anxiety for everyone, those who are falling, those who are catching, and even the audience! Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt. Before anybody actually falls, I cut the activity and we discuss our psychological and physiological reactions.

No matter how you get people to think about their responses to fear and anxiety, this unit is sure to elicit some wonderful and productive conversation if you can kick it off with an activity like one of these!

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