Want To Break Free From Worries? Let Them Go!
Are you plagued by constant worries and anxious thoughts?
Worries, doubts, and anxieties are a normal part of life; it’s natural to worry about an unpaid bill, meeting someone new for a first date, or preparing for an interview or important presentation.
But when worry and anxiety becomes persistent, excessive and uncontrollable, it can start to interfere with our emotional and physical health.
You may take your negative feelings out on those closest to you, self-medicate with food, alcohol or drugs, or try and distract yourself by zoning out in front of screens.
Worrying is usually focused on the future; what might happen. But sometimes it can be focused on the past, rehashing the things you’ve said or done. Both lead to feelings of dread and obsessing over the ‘‘what if’s’’.
So how can we break free from our worries?
One strategy is by bringing our attention back to the present, through mindfulness.
Mindfulness is based on observing our worries and then letting them go, helping us get in touch with our emotions and identifying our unhelpful thought patterns.
So how does it work?
1.) Acknowledge and observe your worries
Don’t try to ignore, fight, or control your worries like you usually would. Instead, simply observe them as if from an outsider’s perspective, without reaction or judgment.
2.) Let your worries go
Notice that when you don’t try to control the anxious thoughts that pop up, they soon pass. It’s only when we engage our worries that we get stuck.
3.) Stay focused on the present
Pay attention to the way your body feels; your breathing, your ever-changing emotions, and the thoughts that come and go. If you find yourself getting stuck on a particular thought, bring your attention back to the present moment.
4.) Repeat DAILY
Using mindfulness to stay focused on the present is a simple concept, but it takes time and consistent practice to reap the benefits. At first, you’ll probably find that your mind keeps wandering back to your worries. Try not to get frustrated. Each time you draw your focus back to the present, you’re reinforcing a new mental habit that will help you break free of the negative worry cycle.
Remember, the longer you hold on to your stresses and worries, the heavier they become. Let them go!
This story sums up this message perfectly:
A psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?”
Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple of pounds. She replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”
As the class nodded their heads in agreement, she continued, “Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little. Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed — incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.” - author unknown.