Are you a worrier?
“I know worry works because nothing I worry about ever happens.” Have you heard of this quote? It sounds funny, but it’s not far from the truth!
It’s normal to worry from time to time, but more and more people seem to worry about the smallest stuff. They also worry about the big things, too, of course, like health, relationships, and finances.
Because worrying can be overwhelming and counterproductive, when writing my book, 21 Days to Happiness, I decided to try to understand it through research and dedicated the chapter “Don’t Worry Be Happy” to address how to decrease it. Maybe you’d like to know what to do about it.
Here are 3 Strategies to Help You Create Peace of Mind
- Practice catching yourself. During a recent phone call with a friend, I caught the person worrying 5 times about 5 different things. I’m not kidding. “Hey, you’re worrying again.” What I’ve learned is that worry is a mental habit. You can change habits; but you have to catch yourself first in order to stop it.
- Practice thought switching. Once you catch yourself worrying, decide to think about something else. By this I mean, think of something that is more positive, perhaps a project or passion that will take your mind off whatever you are worried about. Are you planning a school event, an outing with friends or have some projects you could focus on? Remember, “Worrying is like a rocking chair…it keeps you busy, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”
- Act, file, or throw it away. Decide to do one of three things: decide to address the issue right then by finding a solution; if you can’t do anything about it at the moment, give yourself a time to address it later; or decide that it is not important and let it go. In other words, act on it, file it or throw it away.Awareness and acknowledgment are the keys to changing our habits. If you tend to worry a lot, try to lighten up. 95% of what we worry about doesn’t happen. What a waste of time and energy. Of course, if there’s a problem, find a solution…but let’s not imagine and create problems that aren’t there!
What strategies work for you? Make a list and post it someplace where you’ll see it throughout the day.
My book, 21 Days to Happiness, describes additional strategies for setting aside worry for greater happiness.
About the Author: Ingrid KELADA, Monthly Mentor, is an experienced psychologist, speaker and happiness expert. As a speaker, she has facilitated over 1000 workshops around the world. People find her to be pragmatic, inspiring and funny! With over 25 years experience, Ingrid offers her expertise to a wide range of clients. She is bilingual and a member of the professional association of Psychologists of Quebec, Canada. Ingrid is also the Author of 21 Days to Happiness. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed and frustrated or just want to increase your happiness, Ingrid teaches you how to be happier in just 10 minutes per day. Read More…
Subscribe to The Teen Mentor to receive more awesome articles like this straight to your inbox.