Worrying...?? Why?

Worry can be exhausting. Energy spent worrying about things can rob us of energy that could be better spent being creative or coping with chronic pain and disease. And if we have been worrying for long periods of time, it can lead to other problems.

I seem to be a chronic worrier. I know it is not a good thing but that seems to be my nature. In order to try and decrease this negative activity in my life, I have begun to think about some of the things I worry about, think about the reasons I am worrying about them, think about what I expect to gain by worrying about them, and think about ways I might replace the worry with something else that would be more constructive and useful and less detrimental to my physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing.

By taking this little self inventory, I found many of my worries were about things I couldn't control. I found it disconcerting when I asked myself questions about why I was worrying about such things in the first place. The answers made me realize some things about myself I never really explored before. For worries like these, I had to ask myself what did I expect to gain by worrying? And when I realized the things I worried about were uncontrollable, then I also began to realize I would really gain very little by worrying about them. So my next step then became considering a replacement for my worrying. And that took some thought. I did come up with some ideas though that might help me when I begin to worry about something.

• Give my worry a name that describes the issue.
• Determine who actually owns the problem or issue and if it isn't you. STOP
• Determine what it is about the issue that is most bothersome.
• Ask myself what I expect to achieve by my worry
• Make a conscious decision to take action on those things I can control or change or determine the issue really isn't worth further attention in your present manner and let someone else deal with the issues or resolve their own problem

I think one thing I can do when I tend to start worrying is to start praying. Prayer can be very effective in helping us decrease stress and worry. In fact, the Bible mentions that worrying is fruitless and may even be a sign of weak faith. This is something I need to really think about.

• If you tend to worry about issues related to financial difficulties, you might consider replacing your worry with some strategies for changing your situation.
• If you tend to worry about your health conditions or have concerns about pending tests or test results, you might focus on gaining education and understanding about these things. There are some great resources on the WebMD site that can help you with questions about diseases and conditions, procedures and medications.
• You might seek out others who may have an understanding of what you are going through and talk with them. Support groups can be very helpful.
• If you have disturbing symptoms then see a doctor rather than try to self-diagnose. Testing may be necessary to gain a definitive diagnosis. It is often better to check things out rather than wait and develop something more complex or serious. And if for no other than peace of mind, seeing your doctor and gaining answers is much better than sitting, worrying and imagining the worst, which is often what happens.

Well I am starting on my new journey and taking an active stand to decrease worry in my life. Perhaps you might benefit from doing so as well. I believe by doing so I will find more energy for other things. I may begin to feel better physically and be able to improve my eating habits and diet. I might even find by worrying less, I may find a new desire to explore new things and travel new places...Who knows!! I guess I won't worry about that!!!

Related Topics: Facing Fear and Anxiety, 10 Life-Changing Steps to Turn Attitude Into Action

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