It's true: Worry is a focus on fear, which leads to tension, anxiety,
anger, and exhaustion.
Here are ten tips to help you stop worrying:
· Hope for the best. A positive attitude works wonders and prevents us
from falling into the dark pit of worry and obsession. Stay focused on
what's going right in your life.
· Prepare for the worst. Dale Carnegie offers some classic advice in
How
to Stop Worrying and Start Living. First, identify the worst-case
scenario. Accept it. Then, set out to improve upon it. Meanwhile, ask
yourself, "Just how likely is this worst-case scenario?"
· Write down your worries. Recording your worries in written form can
help you channel nervous energy and pinpoint the real subject of your
anxiety. Then you can work to solve those problems rationally and
objectively.
· Try behavior modification tapes. Mike Brescia has a good one for
dissolving worry and anxiety here:
http://www.momscape.com/thinkrightnow/anxiety.htm This audiotape is
not self-hypnotizing or subliminal. You'll hear every message, but these
messages are subtle and, for many people, effective.
· Recognize that it's simply not worth your time and your hard-earned
energy to obsess over the little things in life, nor about issues,
events, and people over which you have no control. Repeat this fact to
yourself, over and over if necessary.
· Take it one day at a time. It's important to plan well, and to prepare
for the future. A daily checklist can help you break up larger tasks
into more realistic nuggets. After you make your daily to-do list,
concern yourself only with the issues at hand. Focus on making the most
of the present moment.
·Trust yourself. Each time you find yourself worrying about some future
event, remind yourself that you are capable of handling the problem when
it arises. Develop a sense of trust in yourself to handle anything that
comes your way. The best way to develop this trust is to charge your
"confidence battery." Reflect on all of your successes...the times you
succeeded in something on the fly. Spend less time worrying about what
could happen with thoughts of what did happen-and how well you handled
it.
· Get help. A support system is vital, but resist the temptation to
exaggerate things when talking to your friends. Remind yourself that the
level of stress you experience is directly related to the way you
internalize it.
· Keep busy. George Bernard Shaw said, "The secret of being miserable is
to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not." If
you're obsessing over something you know is silly, distract yourself.
Start a new project. Take the kids out for ice cream. Call your mom.
· Keep the faith. Your religious faith can go a long way in breaking the
worry habit by helping you give those anxieties to a force greater than
yourself.
It's important to recognize that everyone struggles with worry at some
point. Talk with your friends and family about possible new ways you
could handle these jittery situations.