I am an expert on worrying. Worry. Worries. Queen Worrier. I can ruminate with the best of them. I can come up with “what ifs” with lightning quick intensity. This is part and parcel of my lifelong battle with anxiety, and for any of you who struggle with worry, you know how exhausting it can be.
I wanted to share this helpful story from Psych Central called Five Strategies to Reduce Excessive Worry. It’s easy to just want the quick remedy for anxiety and worries — where’s the pill or the drink or the nap I can grab so I can stop thinkingthinkingthinking and driving myself crazy. (And no, I’m not against taking medication as you WELL KNOW.) Thing is, whatever fast-acting balm we reach for doesn’t eliminate part of the problem: what we think about and how we think it.
The strategies Suzanne Phillips, PsyD, shares in this story can be very effective. I know it’s hard to imagine being able to change the way your mind works to actually get rid of anxiety, or at least lessen it, but you can. Among the strategies she explains how to schedule a time for focusing on your worries, and also how to focus on what is instead of on what if.
Few people benefit from the suggestion “ Stop worrying!” Whereas dismissing the worry may not be realistic, postponing worry has proven helpful to many.
I highly suggest checking out the article and putting some of Phillips’ strategies in play. You might be surprised at how these ideas will help put your worries in check.
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