Worrying is one of the worst feelings in the world.
Worst-case scenario thinking takes a toll on the body and brain. In the end, it becomes challenging to live in the moment or enjoy life to the fullest.
What’s the difference between a worrying habit and a normal, healthy concern? It’s not always easy to tell.
But if you find yourself worrying about things out of your control, it might be time to break the habit.
Worry makes us more anxious in the long term. It robs us of the present.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength,” says Corrie ten Boom.
When your worry habit becomes too much, it gets in the way of a healthy life. Your quality of life suffers when your worry becomes a cycle.
When we worry, it makes us feel like everything will turn out badly.
Worst-case scenario thinking can interrupt your life and prevent you from enjoying life.
Chronic worriers don’t think about finding a solution to the obstacle or how to move forward in the most positive way possible.
The worrying brain focuses on the problem for as long as possible.
Worrying is just a way of thinking that doesn’t solve any problems and brings more stress into our lives.
Worrying can be a tough habit to break. But you can break the chain.
The first step is recognizing that it’s a problem.
Here are some techniques for breaking the worry chain:
- Separate your worries into two: solvable and unsolvable worries. If you are worried about your health, you can make better choices to change it. If you are concerned about your finances, you can spend less or save more.
- “If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever. — Dalai Lama XIV
- Write your emotional stress down: it helps you better understand everything impacting your quality of life. It’s also a better approach to find solutions for those in your control.
- Ask yourself: what is the worst possible thing that could happen? This practice reminds you that most of your worries aren’t worth all the stress they create.
- Once you figure out the worst outcome, think of a solution if the event or experience is in your control.
- Create a worry “emergency plan”: this helps you think more critically about what would need to happen to consider your worries valid to activate a plan. “Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning,” says Winston Churchill.
- Create boundaries with other people who may be contributing to those worries: worry can be contagious. Talk to someone else outside the worry bubble to break the chain.
- Learn to be more present or mindful by doing something different when you notice your worry pattern — becoming aware of when you’re worrying and catching yourself in the act.
- You could try quick habits or responses like deep breathing exercises, going for a walk, listening to calming music, or taking up a hobby like painting. These are called positive interruptions: they can quickly break the worry cycle.
Worrying and stressing can quickly take a toll on your health. The sooner you can find a way out, the better.
Not everything is in your control, identify them and let go fast. Focus your energy on things you can solve: real and practical life problems you can control and do something about them.
You cannot fix anything by worrying, but what you can do is prepare yourself for whatever may come next. You can plan a future response in advance.
The more influence you have over things you worry about, the more likely you will do something about it.
Remember what Marcus Aurelius said, “Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.”
You can’t keep yourself from worrying about things that might happen, and you don’t have any control over your thoughts in the moment. But you can adopt habits to prevent worrying from taking over your life.
—
This post was previously published on Thomas Oppong’s blog.
***
You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
 Escape the Act Like a Man Box |
 |
 |
 |
Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo credit: iStock
