Worrying too much
1) Remind yourself that it won’t last forever
Change is inevitable and the wheel of life trundles on. Use this to your advantage when life feels miserable – things will change, new chapters will emerge.
2) Try to look at your situation in another way
Ask yourself if there is another way to look at your situation/your worries. Have you thought of all the different aspects? Where is the evidence for your thinking? Is your thinking accurate or are you basing your thinking on assumptions? Try to focus on the facts and be more rational about what is happening. Take the emotion out of the equation as much as possible.
3) Be aware that you’re experiencing life, like everyone else is
Welcome to the human race. You wouldn’t belong here if you didn’t experience ups and downs. It’s a part of life so keep the ‘downs’ in perspective and give yourself a pat on the back for surviving the lessons of life.
4) Distract yourself
Too much time is never good for a wandering worried mind. If you can do something about your worries, do it and then distract yourself. If there is nothing you can presently do then distract yourself until such time when control is back in your ‘court’.
5) Look at the facts, ignore assumptions and “what ifs”
Often we live our lives in our heads. The reality may be very different to what we FEEL is going on for us. We may feel lonely and scared and feel unloved and from this thinking we may withdraw and listen in to our inner dialogue of how useless and lacking in value we are. The reality may be very different and others may find you incredibly loveable and wonderful, if only they could find you…which they won’t because you are hiding and feeling sorry for yourself. Learn to separate emotional thinking from what the reality is.
Remember this: the map (your thinking and perceptions about the world around you) is NOT the territory (the actual reality of what is going on and how others may perceive you).
6) Be aware of your “triggers”
Triggers ignite emotional responses and that’s when we begin to feel out of control. When you know what your triggers are – for example, feeling insecure, being around a certain person or being in a situation where you feel helpless you can develop strategies to avoid these situations or have a system in place to manage the situation.
We all worry too much…we all subject ourselves to unnecessary mental torture but you can stop this masochistic behaviour and learn to talk to yourself in a kind way, ignore emotional thinking and distract yourself when you feel worry taking over. Learn to enjoy the moment.
Mandy X
Photo by erin leigh mcconnell 
