A negative thought urges us to take action. It helps us to reflect on possible endings we didn’t anticipate and fix it. Too many negative thoughts can cripple us mentally and physically.
That’s right. Worry brings anxiety, unhappiness and health issues. Specific health issues include sleep deprivation, lowered immune system, increased chances of death from disease and increased chances of PTSD. We have the power to stop worry. Follow these tips to break free from worry and regain control.
Worry-free solutions are divided into two categories: acceptance and concentration. Let’s look at acceptance first.
Worry is welcome
This goes against the introductory paragraph. Inviting worry in is the opposite of expectations. Our first instinct tells us to block it. In reality, worry doesn’t leave with mental force. It makes the voice louder. What worriers should try is to invite worry in.
Set aside a worry period (at least 10 minutes) to allow negative thoughts to cut loose to the worry point. Unplug from technology, the internet and television. Find a quiet place, and let loose.
Move forward when the worry period is over. If worry creeps up after the worry period, acknowledge its existence, and save it for the next worry period.
Make a hard copy
Writing down your worries is therapeutic. It is a great strategy to relieve test-taking nervousness, so it should work for worriers. Writing down thoughts is like channeling emotion through the pen and onto the paper.
For every worrying moment, jot down the exact thoughts on paper. A diary, a paper-filled binder, or folder is a great idea. A similar idea is typing ideas on a word processor or as a private blog.
Be a problem-solver
In some cases, solutions to worry are possible. We search for solutions to the worry in our heads only for the worry to worsen. Should those worries become real, our preparedness for the challenges is slim. A real solution to worrying ensures the worrying problem doesn’t return.
Analyze the problem one step at a time. Is the worry a realistic concern or a conjured scenario? Conjured scenarios don’t have solutions, but real concerns do. Next, is the real concern likely to occur? Finally, is the problem solvable? If the problem is fixable, create a plan and take action. Break the plan down into steps and solve each step.
The goal isn’t to find the perfect solution, but to take action toward eliminating the concern. However, ensure that the plan is a realistic solution within your control.
If it’s a conjured scenario, understand that bad things happen and accept it. It’s not changing because we picture it in our minds. What may be preventative measures is really entrapment.
The second category is concentration. The negative thoughts won’t have time to creep in when the focus is on productive tasks.
Keep your eye on the prize
Work, school, entertainment and health appointments keep us focused on a goal. The examples mentioned give us something to focus on.
Respectively, most answers to those four suggestions are a paycheck, a degree, for enjoyment and for a checkup. These activities are too important for negativity. It becomes a priority, and worry usually comes as distractions or nothing to do.
The same goes for simplistic activities such as reading a book or checking social media accounts. Yes, it’s distracting, but it’s doesn’t equal pushing thoughts away. These activities are productive; they are a positive mental, physical and emotional step forward. View this as a healthy distraction.
Practice serenity
Relax and unwind with meditation, spas and/or taking a walk. Channel inner peace with meditation. By concentrating on the ‘ohm’ sound and closing your eyes, the sounds and darkness are the only focus. Temporarily leaving negative, worrying thoughts brings us to a peaceful place when we return.
A second option is a spa getaway. The heat, oils and massage ensures nothing else enters the mind but relaxation. A third idea of meditation is walking in the forest. The senses focus on the forest smells, the sounds and the beauty. Nature calms the brain without saying or thinking a word.
Remember to exercise
Get your heart racing with a dose of adrenaline-pumping workouts. Exercise reduces stress and eliminates inner demons by creating happy brain chemicals to replace it.
Take frustrations out on the body, and watch the pounds melt away. Of course, physical results won’t show immediately, but it will provide a good workout.
An exercise-meditation combination, yoga is also a powerful stress-reliever. Pilates, strength training and trendy exercises provide the same results.
Worry never ends. When one negative thought breaks through, another one comes. The consistency creates a snowball effect with no signs of slowing down.
Even the mentally tough are worried now and then. The sad part is the negative vibes becomes addictive. However, the slump is controllable. Let these ideas escape the never-ending dark hole into a positive life.
Worried about this article or anything else? Fight back before it overpowers you. Take any ideas imagined, and jot them down in the comments below.
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