My friend, worry is something that we face frequently in our lives, some of us minute by minute. We worry about the past, the present and the future. But the biggest question I ask myself when I realize I am getting worried is “What is the benefit of this worry?” and of course, you know the answer, there is no benefit. The only thing worry brings is confusion, feeling that others don’t care, indecision, and negative thoughts that spiral into a series of things that are going wrong or will go wrong.
It is time to manage worry, and just like fear, it’s not something we can discard from our lives but we can manage it to minimal levels so that we can enjoy our life in every moment and situation. I believe it is everyone’s goal to be happy, to smile more, laugh more, love more and do great things that add value to us and others. Worry comes to steal all these great things from us. Every minute spent on worrying, is happiness lost, love lost, laughter lost. Worry controls you and forces you to indulge yourself in thoughts that destroy not build, thoughts that stress not relax and this leads to damage of our human spirit.
As speaker and coach, I have had an opportunity to learn what the most common fears are when people talk about being worried.
worrying what others will think or say about them
worrying about past mistakes
worrying about how they look
worrying about kids or family or friends
We know worrying is a bad habit, but we do it anyway. I have learned to manage worry by being more intentional with my thoughts. I choose to replace what worries me with positive thoughts or actions: love, humor, spending time with family or looking at pictures that bring a smile to my face. It’s important to have something your mind connects to when worry starts to creep in.
There are different ways you can deal with worry. One of the most used ways is by doing the following:
Write your thoughts down on paper.
Ask yourself what am I worried about?
What is the worst-case scenario that could happen?
Prepare and reconcile yourself to accept it.
Try to improve the situation.
These steps not only help you calm your nerves, they help improve your attitude, concentrate, and become more active in the present moment. Defeating worry is a process, it begins with being more intentional to live a worry-free life and being aware of what we worry about most and what strategies work for us.
My question to you: How do you manage your worry?
Comments