To create your own experiment, first identify how one of your thoughts or beliefs influences your behaviour. For example, do you think that shaking would ruin a social interaction so you work hard to keep your body still, or that making a mistake will cause others to yell at you so you never take risks? Once you have identified the behaviour, the next step is to make a plan to change it. For example, purposely trying to shake and see how others react, or making a small mistake at work in front of your coworkers. To maximize the benefit of the experiment, write out your prediction, being as specific as possible. For example, “Jane will yell in a loud voice that I’m stupid, and walk away causing others to stare at me.” Be careful not to assume that others are reacting negatively – look at the facts. What did they do or say? Was it as bad as you thought? Are there other explanations for what happens?

Examples of experiments include:
- Ask a “silly” question (e.g. ask for directions to a street you are already on)
- Let your hand shake while holding a glass of water
- Spill a drink
- Drop something or knock something over
- Wear your shirt inside out
- Send an e-mail with spelling mistakes
- Mispronounce a word
- Pretend to lose your train of thought and stop mid-sentence
- Pretend to trip
- Wait for the cashier to close the till and then ask for change

What sorts of things are helpful to put onto a coping card?
- A nickname given to your anxiety (e.g. “Mr. Worry”, “the pest”, “Meanie”) combined with a command. For example, Beat it Mr. Bossy Pants! Or, You’re not invited to the party anxiety.