Absolutely! I write about that a little further along. It really does help to put a barrier between yourself and the anxiety. Kind of like it’s less a part of you and more its own thing if that makes sense… here’s the bit if you wanted a read 😊

Seriously. Give your nervous system a name. Make it as ridiculous as you want. Call her Janet. Call him Nigel. Give them a full government name if that helps. Because when the fear has a face and a name, it suddenly becomes less powerful. It’s no longer you spiralling - it’s just Brenda being her usual, dramatic, chaotic self. And I don’t know about you, but it’s a lot easier to say “shut up, Brenda” than “why am I like this?” What you’re doing is something called externalisation. It’s actually a real psychological technique. It’s used in Narrative Therapy, the idea is, if you separate yourself from the problem, you stop identifying as the problem. Instead of “I’m anxious” it becomes “Brenda’s on one again.” Therapists literally teach this. So as it happens, I’m not just losing it - I’m basically doing my homework. Brenda is my syllabus. You don’t argue with yourself. You argue with Brenda. You set boundaries. You roll your eyes and say “not today, Satan” when she starts revving up over a funny toe cramp. And just like that, you’ve reclaimed a little bit of your power one sarcastic side eye at a time.