Tell me if this sounds familiar:
You are at work, and your boss seems a bit annoyed. You immediately start thinking:
“He’s probably upset because I didn’t do a very good job. What if he fires me? How fast can I find another job? How will I pay rent? What if I can’t find another job for a long time?”
Next thing you know, your mind is spiraling with all sorts of ideas and concerns.
If this scenario sounds too familiar, then you are a worrier.
Don’t get the wrong idea: some amount of worry may be good for you, but much of it is not. People can easily take worrying too far and can’t tell if the amount that they worry is too much.
It’s ok to worry sometimes. If you want to be in a relationship and haven’t had a date in a year, it is natural for you to be concerned. If you gained 10 pounds, some amount of worry is normal. You want to listen to your inner voice nagging at you, especially about problems you can solve.
But worrying is not the solution. You must take action.
You Are Not the Only One
Too much worry is not good for you. As John Assaraf said, “Worry is a prayer for what you don’t want.” The last thing you want to do is to fill your mind with negative thoughts about potential problems. The more you focus on what you want and how to get it, the more likely you will get it. Negativity makes it harder for you to reach your goals.
To make matters even more complicated, 19% of the adult US population suffers from some kind of anxiety disorder. These conditions are much more frequent in women, 23.4% compared to men at 14.3%. Fortunately, these conditions are easily treatable, yet only 36.7% of those with the conditions seek treatment.
Stress has the potential to make your health worse. You may blame your problems on stressful situations that you believe you cannot control, but your reaction to stressful situations can often greatly improve with the strategies mentioned below. When your mind is calmer, you often have a better perspective on how you can handle your situation. For example, when you have trouble losing weight, you might believe it’s hopeless if you are anxious. If you were calmer, you might realize that you haven’t been exercising and your eating habits haven’t been very good. You might decide to change that and see if you can lose.
With that in mind, here are the 3 Steps to Relieve Your Worry:
Calm Your Worry Step #1: Focus on Solutions.
If you are putting off dating, address what is holding you back. Are you scared? Do you lack confidence? Figure out what you need to work on next. If you want to lose weight, is it time for you to commit to a weight loss plan? If you don’t know where to start with any of your worries, it is time to talk to a trusted friend or get a professional consultation. When you have a problem that needs addressing, you need a plan to solve it.
Calm Your Worry Step #2: Be Mindful
Mindfulness means observing your thoughts and feelings. This process is about understanding yourself. Rather than judging your thoughts and emotions as good or bad, you just become aware of them. Then you can choose whether to think or feel differently. You can make your situation into a catastrophe or see it as a problem that you are addressing.
For example, you could say, “I’m worried about my weight again. I think I’ll go take another walk right now instead of worrying.” Sometimes, you just have to learn to accept that you aren’t perfect so that you don’t worry so much. Join the rest of us in the land of imperfection!
Calm Your Worry Step #3: Follow the Research
Look into yoga, meditation and breathing, and relaxation techniques to help you to stop worrying so much. A healthy diet and exercise can make a big difference. Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and drugs is more important than you probably think. Believe it or not, marijuana can cause anxiety.
Bottom Line:
Focus on what you want rather than what you don’t and you are more likely to get it. Anxiety is easily treated. Get the help you need.
