Drop The Worry

Worry is a constant part of our lives in these testing times. In the last few weeks, we have seen Coronavirus sweeping the planet. Though we have seen amazing examples of social responsibility, community work, and care in some cases, we have also witnessed horrible acts of racism, panic, and hoarding.

Worrying makes complete sense in today’s unpredictable and unprecedented times. But is it healthy to be a worrywart and constantly fret about everything happening around you? If you happen to worry excessively, then you might want to be a little cautious and seek help from a friend or a mental health professional.

Chronic Worriers

It is not uncommon for some people to worry or fret more than others. Some of us constantly keep repeating certain scenarios and issues which do not have a connection with our present; our today.

According to the director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy in New York City, Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D.: “There is a genetic component, and there are also nurture or non-nurture factors.”

If we compare people who come from divorced homes with ones that come from normal households, we find that people with troubled pasts are 70% more prone to have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) or chronic anxiety, tension, etc.

What Do You Mean by GAD?

It is very normal to experience nagging thoughts or suffer from anxiety occasionally. Many of us tend to worry about our health, financial matters, domestic problems, etc. But some people are chornic worriers and tend to suffer from chronic anxiety. If you happen to feel extremely worried and nervous about even the little things in life, you might be suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Even when there is little to no reason to worry, people with GAD tend to get sidetracked during the simplest of tasks due to extreme anxiety. They find it difficult to stay focused and think properly because they are in a constant worry and nervousness.

Though GAD is treatable, it can become a life-time ailment if left uncured. You can consult your doctor or a therapist to seek medical help to cure GAD. Patients might be advised to medications or psychotherapy.

What Happens When You Worry

If we’re walking around all day in a state of worry, we will only weaken and compromise our thinking power. This in turn affects our emotions and how we feel. When our emotions and feelings are compromised, they will change the actions that we take or don’t take, thereby affecting the results we are able to achieve.

Constant worrying and agony can impact more than just ourselves, such us our family, friends, and even our employees, or clients. All those who depend on you or are affected by you will be greatly influenced if you show up in a worried, frantic, crazy state.

Worry is simply going to use up your time, and it’s going to drain your energy. Worry brings up emotions that we don’t want, like stress, anxiety, or disappointment which feeds the anxiety that you’re producing.

Sometimes we also feel the constant urge to be sympathized by others. At times, we decide we’re going to worry because we are craving attention. “Hey, everyone, look at me, listen to me and comfort me because I’m worried.” Instead of comforting ourselves, we’re looking to others to do it for us. It’s important to start questioning yourself about the payoff you’re getting from all this worry.

In reality, worry is just going to feed and nurture negative emotions. It’s only going to compromise your ability to think. It’s going to slow down your progress on your goals, or anything that you want to achieve. At the end of the day, worry does not put more money in your bank account or help you achieve your goals.

How Not To Worry ‘Too Much’ About Everything

“My life has been one long, happy holiday, full of work and full of play. I dropped the worry on the way and God was good to me every day.”

I absolutely love this little poem by John D. Rockefeller because whenever I feel worried, it is a little reminder to drop the worry along the way.

The actual problem is that worriers happen to have backwards thinking. It’s not about getting things that are going to make us happy. It’s being happy right now with everything that we have. We attach our happiness to things in the future, so we are not happy today. We have to focus on being happy today. When we produce more of those positive emotions that we want, like being in a state of abundance and gratitude, it’ll bring us more of the things that we want.

So how do we minimize our worry? Follow these steps:

1 – Stop Labeling Yourself As A Worrier

Worry doesn’t lead to any of the positive things that we want. We label ourselves, and we carry on these labels for so long that they become a part of our identity. We almost carry around these labels like a badge of honor.

I’m a worrier. I’m a procrastinator. I’m a perfectionist.

But guess what, that does not serve us at all. We want to start asking ourselves about the payoff of all this behavior. If you can get clear on what you’re getting out of it, then you can start to replace it, or do something different about it.

Think about your business. If there’s a problem in your business when you sit and worry about it, does it solve the problem? No, it does not change reality. So why not just drop the worry so that you can then tap into your higher thinking skills? From there on without the worry, you can get to solve the problem easily, effectively, and quickly.

2 – Replace Your Worry With Different Actions

When I feel myself start to worry, it’s just a trigger in my thinking, and a reminder to replace it with something else. This is where you have to figure out what you want to replace it with. You want to find what’s best for you. Just figure out what you want to replace that worry with and then take back your power.

We need to seize the present, live right now in the moment, and take back our power. We need to figure out what we want to replace the worry with.

I’m going to give you some ideas. But again, this has to be what’s best for you.

i) Awareness

If you feel worried, you can replace your worry with awareness. When we’re aware of the things that are happening, we can look around and decide what actions we need to take. When we’re aware, we can act quickly and efficiently. We can be productive with our time. Awareness is an effective replacement for worry.

ii) Trust

Often, when we’re worried, we are not trusting that the future will be okay or that we will be taken care of or that the money will come. I frequently use trust to replace it with worry. I give things some time and allow things to work out on their own. Things always do work out in some way or another. I trust in that, and you should too.

iii) Acceptance

Another replacement for worry could be acceptance because whatever is happening is in all truth our reality. Right now, Coronavirus is happening. Whether we worry about it or we don’t worry about it, it’s going to be happening. As soon as we accept reality and we stop arguing with it, we actually lessen our pain and suffering because we no longer need to spend all that time worrying about something that we truly can’t change.

CONCLUSION

I hope that you’ll at least consider dropping the worry because it’s truly not serving you. I hope you take back your power and replace it with something much better that is productive and will bring value to your life. Think of how much time you spend worrying if you replaced it with trust, how much more of your productivity would you get back in your day?

If you found this article helpful, consider joining Goal Achievers, which is our coaching community where we dive deep into a topic relevant to living a full and extraordinary life each month. We focus on just one topic at a time so the process isn’t overwhelming and we help you take small powerful steps forward towards the life of your dreams.

If you are a business owner, you can also join us at Inner Circle, our business coaching program where we take you by the hand to help you eliminate frustration, stress, and overwhelm from your business so you can achieve the results you really want.

You can also pick up a copy of the Best Planner Ever, or my book The Joy Guide.

xo

Jennifer

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