Are you a worrier? Do you constantly go over every “what if” possible? Does your mind conjure horrible images of what may or may not happen? When you try to make a decision, do worries freeze you in your tracks? If so, the following tips will help you to stop worrying and start living again. You’ll be able to take action, solve problems, make better decisions and finally relax.
Act:
When you worry your body pumps out stress hormones by the bucketful. Instead of sitting and thinking about what’s bothering you, get up and do something. Whether you can actually take action toward solving the problem you’re worrying about or just need to get your mind off of worrying in general, movement helps to release pent-up energy and funnel it in another direction. Exercise, do a load of laundry or dishes, take a walk, make a phone call, just DO something.
Decide:
One of the best ways to stop worry in its tracks is to simply make a decision. Many times doing nothing is what causes the most worry. What if you make the wrong decision? So what! At least a decision was made and you can move on from there and make a better decision next time. Besides, you learn from mistakes more than you learn from doing everything perfectly the first time around.
Resolve:
Sometimes your worries may be just figments of your imagination, while others are actually true problems. What you want to do in this case is confront the situation, the person, or the problem NOW! Make that phone call, make the appointment, talk to that person, come to an agreement, find a compromise, whatever it takes, do it and do it now. You’ll find that your stress and worry dissolve quickly.
Relax:
Worry is a vicious cycle. The more stressed you are the more you’ll tend to worry and the more you worry the more stressed out you’ll feel. The best way to handle worry, stress, anxiety, anger, and a host of other negative feelings is through the simple act of relaxation. Whether you have a favorite way to relax such as taking a long bath, a walk, meditation, gentle yoga, reading, or listening to soothing music, take time out each day to practice a few minutes of letting go.
Breathe:
Have you ever noticed how much you hold your breath when you’re stressed and worried? A tried and true method to relax quickly is to stop what you’re doing and take a slow, deep breath through your nose, hold for a slow count of five, and then slowly breathe out through your mouth. (Imagine blowing on a spoonful of hot soup to get an idea of how to properly exhale.) Do this 3-10 times and feel your body and mind relax.
Try all of these techniques or choose one or two that appeal to you most and make it a daily habit to release worry. Stressing over what may happen, what could happen, and what has already happened gets you nowhere. Soon, you’ll discover that you’re worrying less and enjoying life more!
