I worry a lot. My insomnia has more to do with tossing and turning with thoughts of “what if” and tasks that I have yet to complete. In today’s climate of worry and stress, here are some tips to make you think about it a little differently. Hopefully you’ll re-evaluate your worrying tendencies, allowing you to deal with the issues at hand in the here and now.
If you think about it, there really isn’t anything you can do to reverse the recession or tax hikes...

South Africa has been through an emotional roller coaster for the last 6 months. There have been highs, but the national collective mood seems to be one of increasing depression and worry. Leafing through the newspaper, you’ll find it challenging to find a substantial news piece of an uplifting nature.

1.    Look at your assumptions about worry. Why do you do it? Does it serve you in any positive way? Some people think worrying is a sign of maturity and responsibility. Perhaps you think it’s a way of figuring out a solution to a problem. But excessive worry is a sign of inability to gain a proper perspective. Rather than finding a solution, it will keep you stuck in the problem. You should aim to spend 20% of your time or less identifying a problem and 80% working on the solution. Superstition also fuels worry as some people believe it prevents bad things from happening. But all worry does is prevent you from enjoying the present moment because your mind is stuck in a place of terrible occurrences and worst case scenarios. Perhaps you want to stop worrying so much but can’t seem to break out of the habit. I have some tips for you to try out.

2.    Develop a tolerance for uncertainty. Many chronic worriers have difficulty accepting uncertainty. Try keeping perspective and that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. Is it possible or even desirable to be certain about everything in life? Or is it possible to accept uncertainty and still enjoy life? Try questioning your thoughts and beliefs. Often, taking a step back and questioning the accuracy or usefulness of your thoughts will give you a better perspective. For many of us, worrying has become a way of life and if anything is uncertain, we tend to envision a bad outcome. Worrying only serves to distract you from the present moment and certainly, there are more useful things that need doing in the here and now!

3.    Kick the habit. Stopping ‘cold turkey’ is generally not going to work. Accept your tendency to worry, but make an agreement with yourself to confine it to a set period of time once or twice a day. Just don’t give yourself time to worry before bed! Give yourself fifteen or twenty minutes when you can worry to your heart’s content. If you catch yourself with those worrisome thoughts, remind yourself that you’ll come back to them later. This will allow you to stop worrying in the immediate moment, which will free mental and emotional energy.
When you’ve mastered the allotted worrying time, gradually reduce the daily time allowance.

Freeing yourself from worry spares you emotional turmoil and allows you to focus your energy in more productive ways.