Stop Worrying: Self-Help Tips for Reducing Anxiety
How to Stop Worrying
Many people today are crippled with anxiety. They worry about everything and anything. The high-tech, fast-paced society that we live in today is literally toxic to many people, and they don’t truly realize what is wrong with them. The truth is, it’s a mystery as to why more people aren’t plagued with anxiety-inducing stress. Perhaps some people have developed coping skills that help them get through the day without worrying.
Here are some tips to reduce worrying:
Plan Ahead to Avoid Additional Stress
A lot of worrying is caused by not being prepared. If you often find yourself being worried in the morning about being late or forgetting something at home, be sure to get prepared as much as possible the night before.
Set out the things you need to take with you near the door and/or make a list to check off each morning so that you do not forget anything. Even seasoned pilots use checklists every single time to avoid missing something.
Set a Time Limit for Worrying
Sometimes you just have to allow the “worry” flow and see if there is a pattern. Set aside some time each day or for each situation that causes you to worry and just worry as much as you want to for that period of time.
Set an alarm to help you end the worrying and stop it immediately if it bypasses worry and moves onto a panic attack. Some worrying is okay but don’t let it get too far. For most people, just allowing yourself to worry will result in less worry. For other people, they can just say, “Thank you for sharing.” “And now go away.”
Get Rid of Time-Sucking Habits
As mentioned before, a lot of worries comes in the form of not having enough time. However, you’d be shocked at how much you do in a day that isn’t necessary, and that just adds to your issues.
An example of this is when you cannot sleep at night due to your mind swirling with thoughts that you can’t seem to stop. Perhaps if you turn off the computer and other screens no later than two or three hours before you go to bed, you’ll find it easier to get to sleep. Or it could be that some people need less sleep than others.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Some forms of worrying come from being in the unknown or being caught off guard by something. The best defense of this is always to be mindful of what is going on around you.
If you are going to give a speech and you’re nervous, try going into the room that you’ll give the talk in well in advance of your discourse, so that you can get a feel of the environment. You can figure out where you will stand, where your microphone is if there is one, and even where the exit is if you must leave.
Allow That… A Little Worrying Is Natural To Us Human
No one on this earth is completely worry-free. This is not a realistic expectation that can ultimately cause more worry when you start to worry about worrying. This is a circle of worry. Although when you connect with Source energy you become grounded and you feel protected. Then you can lighten up and relax.
Try to differentiate between the light worrying that most people experience and the unnatural worrying that leads to anxiety. After all, you wouldn’t be a parent if you didn’t feel worried about your child’s first date or when they take the car the first time. So you could be wondering about what might happen or think about the results.
Keep a Journal
For some people, writing down their feelings (including their worries) can do a lot to flush them out of their system. Somehow seeing the worries and how they manifest can be cleansing.
Don’t just write down the worry, also write down how to handle this worry so that the next time it comes up; you can deal with it easier.
Meditate and/or Pray
Taking the time out of your day to focus inward for a few minutes or so is one of the best inner work you can do to clear your mind. You can do this through meditation or prayer or both. When you pray, get comfortable and truly mean what you say and try to keep it very positive. See your life changing into the life you always wanted.
When you meditate, instead of thinking about any one thing, try to focus your thoughts on nothing. It might help to develop a mantra, which are some words you say over and over again until they essentially have no meaning.
Exercise and Eat Right
Nothing can be more important that the food you eat and the body you have. Treat it right by moving a lot and eating right. Some of us think we don’t have sufficient time to eat right and exercise, but the truth is that you don’t have enough time not to.
Eating right and exercising can add years to your life. You’ll gain more time than it takes so the excuse of not enough time is bogus. You only need about 14 minutes a day of exercise, and you can eat right by planning ahead and using your crockpot and a pressure cooker to ensure that nothing takes too long to prepare. And honestly, nothing is faster than raw fruits and veggies.
In summary, you can have some measure of control over worrying so that you can feel less anxious in most situations. If you find that your worrying has passed the anxiety phase and moved on to full-fledged panic, learn some deep breathing and coping skills to help you overcome that as you learn to stop worrying as much. If the worry and anxiety take over your life, then it is time to seek professional help.