No More Worries:
7 Habits

Mirjam Stoffels

‘Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow’
Worry. It starts with one nagging thought.
That creates another few thoughts, and…

…before you know it there is a storm brewing in your mind, zapping your mental and physical energy. Chaos within.

The problem with worrying is that it becomes a cycle of self-perpetuating negative thoughts.

I am no stranger to it and to the powerful negative effects it can have on life and the happiness in it. But in the last couple of years I have found several habits that have helped me to decrease my worrying. More easily handle such thoughts when they pop up.

Here are seven of them:

 
#1
Make time for meditation
Taking some time to find some zen really helps calm the anxiety in your brain. Meditation training not only lowers anxiety levels in people, but it also effects the anterior cingulate cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex brain regions. The first one controls emotions and thinking, the latter controls worrying.

 
#2
Don’t get lost in vague fears
When you lack clarity it is very easy to get lost in exaggerated worries and disaster scenarios. When fears feel vague in your mind find clarity by asking yourself: ‘What is the worst that could happen?’ The worst that could realistically happens is usually not as scary as what your mind makes up when it is running wild with vague fears. Spending a few minutes on finding clarity in this way can save you whole lot of time, energy and suffering.

 
#3
Embrace uncertainty
Many worried people equate uncertainty with a bad outcome, but uncertainty is really neutral in itself. When you accept uncertainty, you don’t have to worry anymore. Acceptance means noticing that uncertainty exists and letting go and focusing on the things that you can control, enjoy, or appreciate.

 
#4
Accept the worry… and move on
Worrying about worrying is a dangerous cycle to fall into. If you try to suppress your unwanted thoughts you’ll end up being more distressed. Be more accepting of your intrusive thoughts. Less obsessional. When you get caught up in worry when you try to force yourself to stop worrying, try a different strategy: acceptance.

 
#5
Work out
Working out releases inner tensions and gets you focused on your body instead of your worried headspace. Working out makes you feel more decisive and focused. Working out not only helps you to build a stronger body, it also has a lot of wonderful and predictable mental benefits: it gets the serotonin pumping, the ‘happy’ brain chemical.

 
#6
Let it out
By letting your worry out and talking about it with someone, it becomes a whole lot easier to see the issue for what it really is. Just venting for a few minutes can make a big difference and after a while you may even wonder what you were so worried about in the first place. Sometimes it is enough for the other person to listen as you work through the situation yourself out loud. At other times it can be very helpful to let the other person ground you and help you find a more practical and useful perspective on the situation at hand. This may very well help you to…

 
#7
Refocus on a small step to move forward
To move out of your worried headspace, just start moving and take action to start solving or improving whatever you are concerned about. Ask yourself: ‘What is the first small step I can take right now?’ Then focus on just taking that small step forward. After that find another small step and take that one too. And then the next, and the next…

 

 
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And you? Are you a nervous Nellie?
What is your strategy to stop your cycle of worries?
Share your wisdom with us in the comment box below!!

Mirjam Stoffels

Founder of seven2success, author of ‘Daily Little Secrets to Success’ and guest blogger at TEDxRoermond, Project Eve and 365 dagen succesvol. In my mission to make seven2success the biggest platform of knowledge and inspiration for women, I want to inspire you with our content! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Let’s to connect! And do you want to inspire other women? Write for us!

 
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