Do you Worry Too Much?

The sky isn’t falling

Are you a worrier? If so, you’re not alone. With all of the information available to us, it’s an easy to fall into the trap. Worry isn’t always bad, but consider if it’s an ongoing thought or feeling that keeps you discouraged. That’s when it’s unhealthy and can cause serious complications for your physical health and your relationships.

The definition of worry (verb) is to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts*. When you put it that way, it sounds awful! And it can be.

Worry is a mechanism to spur you into action. But what if you can’t?

Ways to reduce your worry

Don’t believe your worry is fact. Check your reality and address the things you can take responsibility for. For example, your teenager is trying out for a school team and you’re worried how she’ll respond if she doesn’t make it. You can encourage and console, but you can’t control anything about the tryout. It’s up to your child to prepare for and execute the tryout. Your worry is likely just making your child anxious. In this case, wish her luck and be there to help her grow through whatever lesson comes. Evaluate whether your worry is something you need to act on or just release.

If you are having worry, capture it. What are you worried about? Write it down. Use your journal, if you have one. Then identify the feeling below the worry. What positive value that you hold is being challenged? What can you do about it? Focus on the positive intent and make an effort to control that.

Make a plan to address the worry. Whenever it resurfaces, go back to the plan.

End your day releasing the worries of the day. Try meditating, going on a walk, journaling or talking it out.

The key is to identify what you can control and take action on that. And let the rest go. If you’re curious about your leading emotion, you can take my quiz to discover more.

If you know you need to take action, but you’re still not sure what that looks like, read my personal journey on moving forward.