4 proven ways to worry less
If you’re a worrier, you’ll know that it can not only keep you up at night, it can also cause panic attacks, compulsive behaviours, tension and even indigestion.
Many worriers think that worrying will help them solve problems or reduce the chance of bad things happening. But in reality, the worrying is actually the problem rather than the solution.
If you want to reduce these thoughts taking over your life, try some of these tips:
Give yourself time to worry
There’s no point telling yourself that you will just stop worrying cold-turkey. A more realistic approach is to give yourself a time each day to spend time thinking about what’s worrying you. Make some notes in a journal, brainstorm some ideas for solving problems, but keep it within a 15 minute block of time. This will help keep worrying at bay and avoid it taking over your life.
Work out if your worries have solutions
It really is a waste of time thinking about things that you have no control over. So if you are sitting up at night worrying about your partner being killed in a car accident, there really isn’t a real solution (aside from selling the car and walking everywhere, which is unlikely). If your concerns do have potential solutions, try to think of many as you can.
Remember to only use solutions that you can action yourself. You may not find the perfect answer to every problem but try to be realistic and accept that near-enough sometimes has to be good enough.
Then make a plan to implement the solution in order to reduce your anxiety and get on with your life.
What to do if your worry is unsolvable
Much of the worries that we have don’t have solutions, as they are out of our control. For instance we may be concerned about a friend’s health, worried about the weather for an outdoor work event, or fearful of losing our partner at some point in the future due to illness. The best way to get on in this situation is to realise that we can only manage the way we respond to these stresses, rather than trying to manage the situation. Get support by talking about your concerns with a trusted friend or your partner; take some time to meditate and be mindful to give you some perspective; or get out and about in nature as this can help clear your mind.
Know that you can’t control everything
If you’re a chronic worrier you might find it hard to deal with the unpredictability of life. But remember that worrying doesn’t help to solve your problems, it only causes stress and tension. We need to be able to accept that much of life is uncertain and just to focus on the aspects that we are able to control. Keeping a gratitude journal can be really useful in gaining some positive perspective – try writing down three things each day that you are thankful for, and read through old entries when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Are you a worrier? How do you cope? We would love to hear from you in the comments.
Related links:
Why we dwell on the negative and how to stop
The secret to quieting a frazzled mind
5 wonderful things that happen when you start to believe in yourself