Worry About Worries
Worry: Helping vs. Harming: Worries can be seen as an emotional flag or an emotional dagger. The flag can help us to identify & solve a problem. The dagger can tear apart our mental focus & impact our physical health. Whether they are big or small, our worries help to bring our attention to an issue. Don’t let worries sit in your head too long. Start by reading & gaining knowledge about your worries; then, start doing something that you learned. Taking actions to address your worries will help to prevent & alleviate mental & physical harms.
Worry to the Rescue: Think of each worry as an emotional life preserver that needs some action from you. Even if the worry is out of your control, you still need to take a mental action so that you don’t become overwhelmed & drown in emotions. In addition to increasing your knowledge, reach out to family, friends, support groups & professionals who can help you to navigate your worries & to help you get back to shore. Even if the issue never goes away, the way you think about it will help you to survive.
Worry, Some: Some worry is normal & if approached the right way, it can be channeled into a healthy way of thinking. Some positive ways to think of worries are: 1) Motivates & prepares us to plan & take actions to reduce risks; 2) Initiates problem-solving; 3) Heightens awareness about threats & opportunities; 4) Triggers stress management techniques to break down the issue into manageable parts; 5) Stimulates personal growth through learning & adapting; 6) Helps to process & address fears & anxieties; 7) Connects us with support systems & like-minded people; 8) Reduces risks by intervening before things get worse. Try using one of these positive ways to improve the way that you worry.
Why Worry: Knowing why we worry about some things more than other things can be helpful in honing the way we deal with our worries. Some common high-level categories of why we worry are: 1) Uncertainty; 2) Lack of Control; 3) Threat to Safety/ Well-being; 4) Negative Past Experiences; 5) High Expectations; 6) Fear of Failure; 7) Social Relationships; 8) Media Exposure (current events); 9) Biological Factors (genetics, brain chemistry, hormonal imbalance); & 10) Personality Traits. Think, logically, about each category & decide which one needs the most improvement. The better we handle our worries the healthier & happier we will be.
To Worry Less: To worry less, we need to 1) Understand its mental & physical impact on health & happiness; 2) Identify triggers that cause worry; 3) Increase healthier thinking patterns & reduce negative thinking patterns; 4) Take action to address root causes; 5) Practice mindfulness, relaxation & stress management; 6) Implement prioritization & time management skills; 7) Create healthy habits to improve lifestyles; 8) Seek professional help, social support & coaching; 9) Reinforce positivity by celebrating small successes; 10) Practice self-compassion; 11) Gradually expose ourselves to fears; 12) Focus on what can be controlled; 13) Write thoughts in a journal to identify & address thinking patterns. You can’t wish worries away; however, you can try any one of these techniques to worry less. It will take work, but it will be worth it.