How to Stop Worrying
Excessive worrying can interfere with every aspect of your daily life. People who worry too much frequently experience a variety of physical symptoms such as stomach pains, muscle aches, headaches, etc. While the majority of worriers acknowledge their problem and would like to stop worrying, reassuring ourselves is incredibly difficult and most people turn to anti-anxiety medications for release.
There are quite a few techniques available to help people stop worrying. A well-liked book written by Dale Carnegie titled, "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living," offers plenty of insightful advice to help people re-train their psyche and start thinking gratifying thoughts. Roughly speaking, 90% of the things we worry about never happen. A little worrying is normal, and may even serve as a protection. On the other hand, if you spend every waking moment focused on worst-case scenarios and feeling apprehensive about things that haven't even happened - it's time to get help.
1. Keep a Journal: Write down your fears or list the situations that create nervous thoughts. In many cases, worry and anxiety are caused by one or two factors. For example, your biggest fear may be an untimely death. In turn, you may feel anxious each time you leave the home or drive in the car. You may also avoid situations that could put your life in danger. Identify the underlying fear that causes worrying, and take steps to overcome this fear. Be patient. Conquering a long-standing fear won't happen overnight.
2. Imagine the Worst-Case Scenario: The "what-if" syndrome causes a lot of unnecessary worrying. One way to overcome this problem is to image the worst-case scenario. For example, if you're anxious about an upcoming job interview, ask yourself, "what's the worst that can happen?" In this case, you won't get hired for the job. Although this may create a setback, it's not the end of the world, and you'll probably come across a better opportunity.
3. Accept Life: Life is not going to be perfect, and you will experience problems. Many people develop extreme worry habits because they expect their life to always be smooth and uncomplicated. Unfortunately, a dilemma-free life is not reality. It's easy to concentrate on the bad. The next time life throws you a curve ball, don't develop a "life sucks" attitude. Instead, think about the good things in your life. For example, are you healthy? Do you earn a decent living?
