Do you catch yourself thinking about the same things
over and over again? Do you often think about things that haven't happened, but
could happen? If so, you probably suffer from worrying. Worrying is a form of
thinking. It can be repetitive and non-productive because it doesn’t solve a
situation, and at times, it can make situations worse. When you worry, your
stress levels rise. This can affect decision-making skills, your happiness, and
relationships. Worrying can seem like not a big deal at first, but it can
quickly get out of control and take over your life. If you feel as though you
can't control your worrisome thoughts any longer, it's time to take back control
of your mind and eliminate worry.
Ask yourself if the worry does any good
for you. Since you want to care for yourself, you don't want
to hurt yourself in any way. Worrying can hurt you, so remind yourself of that.
Usually, when people are able to be honest with themselves, they have an easier
time letting go of the worry.
Count your breaths. Breathe in through your nose and then breathe out through
your mouth. Count your breaths since worry can be exasperated with high-stress
levels, this will reduce those levels.
- If you continue to worry as you are breathing, allow yourself to consider it for a moment and then breathe it away. Use your breath to blow the worries away from you.
- Do as many you need to feel relaxed. Some people will do 10 breaths, while others will do breathe in and out 20 times. You don't even have to decide before you start this technique. Allow yourself to gauge if you need to continue when you hit 10.
Give yourself 30 minutes to worry. Learn to control your worry by allowing yourself only 30
minutes. Once your 30 minutes is up, tell yourself that you need to focus on
other things. It may help to set a timer so that you are not tempted to worry
after your time is up.
Use the thought-stopping technique.
As soon as you start to worry, tell yourself to stop. The action of telling
yourself to stop replaces the negative thought. You can do it aloud or you can
use self-talk to tell yourself. Many therapists use this technique to help
people avoid negative thoughts. As soon as a worry enters your mind, telling
yourself to stop can help you let go of it quickly. Just keep in mind this is a
learned behavior. It may not be effective at first, but after some practice,
you may just be able to stop any worrisome thought in its tracks. This
techniques works better for some people more than others.
Condition yourself to not worry. Place a rubber band on your wrist and snap it every time
you worry. This is a type of thought stopping and it can help you to stop
worrisome thoughts, then focus back on the present.
Put something in your hands. Studies show that people who use their hands are less
likely to worry. When you're focused on whatever is in your hands, you won't be
focusing on what you're thinking about for too long. You may want to put a
string of beads in your hands or use a stress ball. Try counting the beads, or
squeezing the ball in a rhythm.
Motivational
