3 Ways to Stop Worry From Stopping You

Do you recognize this?

You’re doing everything right. Life is smooth. Happy. And all is well in your world.

And suddenly, seemingly out of the blue things start to fall apart.

You’ve been hit with something to worry about. And if it looks like it’s something serious, a major career mistake, a personal, financial, or health loss, it’s likely that the worry machine will be cranked up to high.

If you’ve ever been kept awake by worry you’ll know that for some of us worry is at its worst in the early morning hours. We toss and turn and find it impossible to stop the negative and fearful thoughts in our head.

And our fears and anxiety take us round in circles that lead nowhere.

The thing of it is, that much of what we worry about are ‘what if’s’. 

What if I lose my job, what if my relationship fails, what if I can’t pay my bills, what if I’m seriously ill? And they play havoc on our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

Recently I had something serious to worry about.  I had medical tests that didn’t look so good. X-rays that looked worse. Concerned calls about more testing. And I began to worry about the worst case scenario.

You don’t want to do this. Don’t get caught up in the vicious cycle of worrying. Once we get caught in it it’s not easy to find our way out.

Turn to what you know works best for fearful, worrying thinking. This is what I did.

1. Stop the worry trolls

Worry is often how we manage uncertainty. And whilst we’re never going to get rid of it entirely, it comes along with the joys of living, we don’t have to allow it to paralyze us and create a stress filled life.

Your worries are like little trolls living in your head that make you see things that aren’t necessarily true, stirring up fear and anxiety. Don’t let them beat you down.

Try calming them down with a whiff of lavender. Studies show that lavender oil has a calming effect on our nervous system. I used it a lot.

2. Don’t believe the illusions

What was true for me was that I was creating images in my mind of the worst possible outcomes. I wasn’t being present in my life.

Present moment living means just that. So I would focus on something in front of me and notice everything about it. Observing it for as long as possible and leaving no room for my imagination to create doomsday pictures in my head.

When seized by worry remind yourself your worries haven’t happened…they’re illusions created by your mind because of unconscious fears and insecurities. And they’re not real in this moment.

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.~ Marcus Aurelius

3. Choosing what to see

Since keeping my imagination in check all day by focusing on objects was an impossibility. I chose images that I wanted to see. In my mind’s eye I heard the doctors’ giving me good news.

Feeling elated and relieved, I saw myself on the telephone sharing the good news with my family and friends.  I replaced every negative image that came up with a happy ending.

Refocus your attention on what you want. And if you have to refocus a thousand times a day…that’s ok. You’re worth it.

We have to get used to the idea that worrying isn’t going to fix things and won’t stop bad things from happening. Truth be told it’s just the opposite, it creates problems you never had.

Begin to see over-worrying as a form of self-torture and you’ll find it much easier to choose to see something better.

Final thoughts

You and only you can bring peace to your life. It’s easy to waste today worrying about tomorrow.

Remember, just because you think something, it doesn’t mean it’s true.

And even though we can’t switch off our brain, we can avoid getting caught up in every worrisome, negative thought that comes along.

You are more than your thoughts. The biggest part of you who are exists beyond fear and worries.

You have within you the ability to mentally move away from things that trouble you and more towards life as you’d like it to be. Don’t dismiss this ability. It can save you from sleepless nights and crippling worries.

And that’s what I managed to do. I mentally saw the outcome as I wanted it to be and heard the results I wanted to hear…until I finally saw and heard all I wanted in my physical reality.  And yes…the good news arrived…I am healthy!

Your thoughts:  How do you manage worries. Not the general every day, it might rain and spoil the picnic worries, but those of a larger, possibly life changing nature.  I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Your wisdom might very well change someone’s world.

Encourage one another.

Love Elle

xo