Worrying is a very common source of stress and waste of energy. All of us have times when we worry, and some people rarely have times when they don’t worry! Whether you are an occasional worrier, or a worry addict, learning how to worry less is an excellent investment in your life.
Here are three simple ways to cut down on your worrying. Choose one method, or use all three to work towards a worry-free life.
1) Write it all down. This is a very simple and easy way to stop the endless chatter of your worries. When you write everything down, you get it out of your head and onto paper where it can’t endlessly repeat itself. 90% of worrying is repetition, so once it is concretely described on paper, it is easier to take your thinking to the next step and onto what you can practically do about your problems.
You can write down whatever you are worrying about quickly in a stream-of-consciousness style. Doing this is a relief and will also allow you to feel much clearer. You can write down everything, even if it scares you or you don’t really want to think about it. Once it is written down, it loses its power.
Sometimes it is helpful to add some structure to your writing. You can categorize your thoughts into pros and cons, or current state and desired state, or other simple organizing structures. If you have a story in your mind you can write a few different versions of it to make it clear how your story is only an interpretation and not the truth. For example, if you’re worrying about something you’ve done in the past, you could write it as a tragedy, then as a comedy, then as a matter-of-fact story. You can do this for your future worries too.
When your worries are very complicated, and you want to find a plan or a solution, I recommend using a mind map, a graphic representation of your thoughts. Learn more about mindmapping here.
2) Get present. When you’re worrying you are always either thinking about the past or the future. It is impossible to worry when you are living in the present moment. To get present, do something that requires all of your attention. For example, try balancing on one leg. It is very difficult to do that when your mind is aflutter! Many of our most enjoyable activities force us to be present, including various forms of exercise and arts.
One of the things I do every day to keep working on my ability to be present is that whenever I am walking from one place to another, I focus my attention on everything I can feel in my body. I notice the feeling of the ground, the air against my face, the feeling of my muscles, my breathing and my heart if I can notice it. I let all those sensations dominate my awareness so that there is no room for anything else. Of course you can do this anytime when you are just sitting, or taking a short break. If you practice this for one minute per day, you will see a difference in your equanimity and your resilience.
3) Practice EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique. Have you heard of it? This is a very simple technique that is easy to learn and practical to use. It is based on the fact that all emotions are energy moving through certain pathways in the body. By tapping on certain spots in an easy-to-learn pattern, it is possible to remove emotional charges. If you are worrying about something, you can be sure there is an emotional charge that is driving the cycle of worrying. So when you eliminate or reduce the emotional charge through this method, you will find you have much more control over your thoughts. By practicing this regularly, you will gain control over your emotions and give yourself the opportunity to act more rationally in emotional situations.
You can download a free EFT manual with everything you need to know. Or contact me to arrange a one-time coaching session where I will teach you to practice EFT and eliminate some of your worries at the same time. I am putting together some small groups to learn this technique for your personal use in a very cost-effective way, so please contact me if you are interested.