One of the first self help books I read was “Your Erroneous Zones” by Wayne Dyer. It was the first time I realized that worrying is just a fantasy about negative outcomes and a waste of precious time and energy.
I wish I could say I never worried again, but I’m human – just like you. Most of us still spend time on negative fantasies when we get triggered and worry takes center stage. We don’t have to stay there though, once we realize it’s happening. We can shift our mind out of worry and into something better. Here are 5 ways you can do just that.
Write It Out: Free form writing whatever you are worrying about is a way to get the thoughts out of your mind and onto paper. Write until the thoughts run dry. Finish off by writing about things that are going well or blessings in your life to lift your spirits.
Question It: Ask yourself these questions about the issue on your mind:
- Is what I am worrying about really true?
- Is this happening right now or are there other possible outcomes?
- How many things have I worried about that never really happened?
- Is this the best use of my time and energy?
- Is it healthy for me? How does it make me feel?
- What can I do or focus on instead?
Schedule It: Another way to vent some of the worry off your mind is to set up a time just for worrying. If you find yourself stuck on a worrisome subject, plan a 10-15 minute time later when you can focus on it. Whenever the subject comes to mind throughout the day just put it on the worry time agenda and let it go until then.
When worry time comes set a timer for 10-15 minutes. Then you can focus, vent and worry all you want until the timer goes off. You will likely feel much better and over time may find that when you get to your scheduled time you don’t need it at all.
Shift It: You can simply change your thoughts. Here are some ideas how:
- Imagine all the possible thoughts you could be having on a conveyor belt or in juke box and choose one that serves you better
- Do something else that occupies your mind fully
- Take action or make a plan
- Focus on gratitude, blessings, or anything else that lifts your mood
Leave It: Worrying is about something in the future. It is not about what is happening right now. When you focus fully on your present moments there is no room left for it any more. Here are a few ideas for returning your thoughts to the present and leaving worry behind:
- Take deep breaths and focus on the air going in and out of your body
- Give it to God
- Bring your attention to the details of a task you are doing. Engage your senses fully as if there is nothing else in the world
- Meditate or pray
- Create an anchor that returns you to the present moment. It might be something like looking at the lines on your palm, a touchstone in your pocket or a mantra you say
- Get an app that helps you breathe into the present moment. Many fitness or smart watches have them built in or you might want to check out something like Calm.
It’s time to stop wasting your time and energy on worry and start focusing on what is real in your life. I hope you consider trying these ideas to help you wipe out worry and bring more peace into your life.
You will be glad you did.
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