Stop Worrying and Start Achieving
Negative Thinking is a Bad Habit You Can Easily Learn to Conquer
Apr 1, 2009
Are you a worrier? Do you constantly go over every possible "what if?" Does your mind conjure horrible images of what may or may not happen? When you try to make a decision, do worries freeze you in your tracks? Here's how to get out of the worry mode once and for all!
Taking Action Reduces Stress
When you worry, your body pumps out stress hormones by the bucketful. Instead of sitting and thinking about what’s bothering you, many find it helpful to get up and do something. Whether you can actually take action toward solving the problem you’re worrying about or just need to get your mind off of worrying in general, movement helps to release pent-up energy and funnel it in another, more constructive direction. Exercise, do a load of laundry or dishes, take a walk, make a phone call, just do something.
Making Decisions and Learning from Mistakes
One of the best ways to stop worry in its tracks is to simply make a decision. Often, doing nothing is what causes the most worry. What if you make the wrong decision? So what? Once a decision is made, you can move forward, learn from mistakes and make a better decision the next time around. Besides, you learn from mistakes more than you learn from doing everything perfectly the first time around.
Confront the Situation and Resolve Problems
Sometimes your worries may be just figments of your imagination, while others are actually true problems. What you want to do in this case is confront the situation, the person, or the problem now! Make that phone call, make the appointment, talk to that person, come to an agreement, find a compromise, whatever it takes, do it and do it now. You’ll find that your stress and worry dissolve quickly.
Relaxation Techniques Reduce Anxiety
Worry is a vicious cycle. The more stressed you are, the more you’ll tend to worry, and the more you worry, the more stressed out you’ll feel. The best way to handle worry, stress, anxiety, anger, and a host of other negative feelings is through the simple act of relaxation.
Whether you have a favorite way to relax such as taking a long bath, a walk, meditation, gentle yoga, reading, or listening to soothing music, take time out each day to practice a few minutes of letting go.
Deep Breathing Clears Your Mind and Boosts Energy
Have you ever noticed how much you hold your breath when you’re stressed and worried? A tried and true method to relax quickly is to stop what you’re doing and take a slow, deep breath through your nose, hold for a slow count of five, and then slowly breathe out through your mouth. Some find it helpful to imagine blowing on a spoonful of hot soup in order to get an idea of how to properly exhale. Do this three to ten times and feel your body and mind relax.
Try all of these techniques or choose one or two that appeal to you most and make it a daily habit to release worry. Stressing over what may happen, what could happen, and what has already happened gets you nowhere. Soon, you’ll discover that you’re worrying less and enjoying life more!
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