There is a lot of uncertainty in the world at the current time. We are facing rising fuel and energy prices, increases in the cost of food and of course living with COVID. It therefore might seem reasonable to worry. After all, worry is a normal human emotion and it is normal to feel worried sometimes. Worry also has a purpose and that is to alert you to a potential upcoming threat for yourself or someone else and serve as a prompt to take action. However, it should be a temporary feeling and isn’t a problem unless it consumes your life. There is a difference between natural and normal worry such as being worried about a job interview, moving house, meeting somebody but when it becomes persistent and excessive and interferes with your life, it’s time to do something about it. Chronic worrying is a mental habit that can be broken. It is different from anxiety although the two often go hand in hand. In my latest article, I look at what worry is, its key factors, how you can learn to deal with it and once you do, the effects it will have on your life.
What is worry?
Worry refers to the thoughts, images, emotions and actions of a negative nature in a repetitive, uncontrollable manner that results from a proactive cognitive risk analysis made to avoid or solve anticipated potential threats and their potential consequences.
Worrying is a form of thinking about the future, defined as thinking about future events in a way that leaves you feeling anxious or apprehensive. Clinically, excessive worry is the primary symptom of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Key factors of worry
· It resides in your mind
· It is very specific
· It is logical and grounded in reality
· It is temporary
· It doesn’t impair how you function
Worry is future-based
Worry is based in the future and is the minds way of preparing you for a perceived upcoming danger. As explained, taking some kind of action can reduce the threat. It becomes a problem if you become stuck in it. This can produce persistent and unpleasant thoughts that go round and round and can cause all kinds of problems including lack of sleep, and an inability to focus or concentrate.
Worry does not give you control over a situation
Usually worry is unrealistic and doesn’t come to fruition. A problem cannot be solved
from a place of worry. There is no truth that worry can evoke a sense of control with the misguided feeling that you won’t be caught off guard and that if you think long enough and hard enough about it you will figure it out. All the time you are focused on the problem, it blocks the solution. You are much more likely to find a solution If you can come back to the present moment and find peace and calm in yourself.
How to deal with worry
· Consciously say no, stop or say that is enough and bring yourself back to the present moment
· Feel your feet on the floor and close your eyes and focus on your breath
· Keep returning to the present moment and deal with what’s in front of you
· Don’t make up stories in your head
· Deal with what’s in front of you and trust it will sort itself out in whatever way is best
· Focus on the relief not the healing
· Don’t become overwhelmed with the healing and having worry gone
· Focus on what you can actually do and put down what you can’t change or influence
The more you make a calm inner state a number one priority, the more problems seem to fix themselves.
By learning how to deal with worry, you will:
· Take better care of your inner life
· Be able to stay centred
· Come back to yourself
· Step into your personal power
· Return to a calm inner state
· Find solutions to your issues or problems faster
· Trust that things happen exactly as they are meant to
But remember, it is a life long practice and on some days you will feel better than others and the more you practice, the easier it is. The energy of a problem is never the energy that will provide the solution and if stuck in worry it’s almost impossible to be in the energy to find the solution.
How can Becoming Aware help you with worry issues?
There is no denying that when you feel good, you are a better problem solver. It’s important to realise that the outside world will never be exactly what you want it to be all the time and that’s OK. You can’t control what’s going to happen, but you can change how you feel about it which shifts how it affects you. Sometimes you just need to get out of your own way in order for things to change. As a Mental & Emotional Wellbeing Specialist, I can help you to cope with worry and help you realise that you can learn to deal with it. Call me on 07766 427966 for a free without obligation chat or email karen@becomingaware.co.uk