My best friend sent me a text at midnight, a time someone would normally text during a serious situation. She realized that she had a major exam in the morning and had not studied at all. I could already feel how scared and anxious she was, feeling defeated before the battle had even begun. I realized she had reached out to me because she was fearful, so I decided to sit back and help her in a way that was going to be effective. I knew before hand she did not want to hear anything that was motivational, because that is not who she is, nor does she enjoy that type of talk.
I went with the CRAFT method and told her that she has now caught herself because now she realizes she must study for her exam. I told her the most important thing right now is time and that she must relax. While relaxing it would allow her to not stress out. She calmed down and realized she had no other option but to grind it out, which meant she was with one option and that was to study all night.
After I explained to her that nothing matters right now but for her to focus on this exam, she figured that all her time and focus must go towards this exam. Now it was up to her to think, act and decide. She really followed the CRAFT method and once I talked to her, she shocked me and told me she got a 100! I was so proud of her because she really locked in and relaxed. I believe for her success the most important part was that she relaxed and focused. The CRAFT method was successful in this situation.