Get Creative Connecting with Fear and Anxiety
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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