Everybody worries sometimes. You may have a few worries on your mind right now.
You might be “thinking” (i.e., worrying) about a relationship or a situation at work causing you trouble. Maybe you’re worried about your health or whether or not you’re going to have enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month.
Worries come whether we asked for them or not. Worry is part of our experience as humans.
The Chinese proverb puts it this way:
“That the birds of worry and care fly over your head, this you cannot change, but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent.”
But worrying becomes a problem when it starts to take over your life. Or staying with the proverb’s imagery -- when those birds of worry “build nests” to settle down and stay.
That’s why the wisdom of the ancient scripture declares: “Don't give in to worry . . . it only leads to trouble.” (Psalm 37:8)
So how do you stop the “worry birds” from making themselves at home in your head?
And what if you could not only curb your worrying, but move that energy from worrying to working?
Try these actions:
Live in the Present – Now!
Worry has a way of trapping you anywhere but here. Either you’re worried about something which happened long ago, or you’re caught up in fretting about something still to come. Neither is going to get you anywhere. To stop worrying, you need to focus on the present.
“We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.”
– John Newton
Recognize that Worrying Gets You Nowhere
Worrying stops you cold. Procrastination is often caused by worrying. Why waste your time and energy on worrying? Sometimes just recognizing what a waste worry is, will be enough to derail it altogether. Especially when you have better places to be.
“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere”
– Erma Bombeck
Commit to Something
Worry needs your attention to survive. Get busy doing something that engages your mind. Do something to accomplish one of your goals or that serves others and makes a positive difference.
“How would your life be different if…You stopped worrying about things you can’t control and started focusing on the things you can? Let today be the day…You free yourself from fruitless worry, seize the day and take effective action on things you can change.” ― Steve Maraboli
Face It
Our feelings serve a purpose. And suppressing or resisting them can have negative outcomes. So, if you’re fearing something, try focusing on the perceived disaster. Acknowledge that what you’re worrying about could happen. Facing the fear– the source of your worry -- can result in the fear loosening its grip.
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Visualize
Worried about something you need to do later? Have a “dress rehearsal” in your mind. Using all your senses, visualize you completing the upcoming task that is the source of your worry.
“There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem.” – Harold Stephen
Identify the Source
What is the source of your worry? Do some digging until you understand what fears, anxiety or stress you are feeling. Ask yourself what negative, self-limiting beliefs could be behind your worry. Then, remind yourself that you can choose to change your beliefs, and you can choose to stop worrying.
“Worry is a misuse of the imagination.” – Dan Zadra
Check the Stats
Researchers at Penn state University found that only 8.6% of things people worry about ever come true. And you could conduct your own study by asking yourself “to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.” The Penn study simply confirmed what was observed over five 500 years earlier, by a 16th century philosopher of the French Renaissance:
“My life has been filled with terrible misfortune; most of which never happened.” -Michel de Montaigne
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Worry is natural. And it can serve as an alert to a problem that needs a solution. If you can fix that problem, then put together a plan and fix it. But as the Dalai Lama counsels, if the problem or situation is not within your control or "if it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”
Yes, worry is normal part of being human. But worry never fixes anything. And worrying can hinder us from reaching our full potential. Use these actions steps to channel your energy from worrying to working and fulfill your life purpose.
NOTE: if you feel your worry is constant and affecting your health and ability to function fully on a daily basis, seek the help of a professional.
Resources
Articles:
Healthy Ways to Face Your Fears
How Often Do Your Worries Actually Come True?
Inspirational Texts & Quotes:
Psalm 37
Matthew 6:25-34
Philippians 4:6
“Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.” -Benjamin Franklin
“Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.” –Henry Ward Beecher
“Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.” –Dale Carnegie
“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” -Corrie Ten Boom
"No man can add one dollar to his bank account by worrying." -Vash Young
"The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work."-Robert Frost
Sources
Image by SolGar from Pixabay
Quotes: Bartleby, Brainy Quote, DoNotQuoteMe, GoodReads, QuotesCosmos, Wikiquote
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