Worries are completely\u00a0normal. It\u2019s actually beneficial\u00a0to worry about things sometimes. It helps us identify potential problems. But worry can become problematic\u00a0when it\u2019s persistent.<\/p>\n
Excessive\u00a0worrying can hurt your well-being\u00a0and lead to\u00a0a state of chronic\u00a0anxiety or stress.\u00a0It can also\u00a0stress\u00a0your relationships, harm your\u00a0self-confidence, and hurt your\u00a0career.\u00a0And stopping worrying is not always easy, either.<\/p>\n
Worry involves negative thought patterns \u2014 patterns that we’ve used over and over again. This can make\u00a0them deeply ingrained\u00a0in our brains. So stopping worrying involves\u00a0confronting\u00a0our\u00a0beliefs,\u00a0values, and emotions. Here are\u00a0five\u00a0steps you can use to\u00a0put an end to worrying.<\/p>\n
1. Explore the origins of your worry.\u00a0<\/strong>One way you can tell whether your worry is about the situation you’re in or the way you think is by exploring whether the worry is general or specific.\u00a0If you worry about one specific thing (e.g., work, kids, money) but you don’t worry about everything, you\u00a0should consider taking constructive action to change your situation.<\/p>\n But\u00a0if you’re like me, and you worry about just about everything, then working on your “worrying thoughts” is a good first step.\u00a0Either way, it’s good\u00a0to investigate\u00a0the origins of your worry so you can gain\u00a0self-awareness.<\/p>\n 2. Identify your unique worry patterns.\u00a0<\/strong>Here are some thought patterns that lead to worry. Some people will find that they have all of these patterns; other people will just have a few. But by understanding what thoughts cause our worries, we can more easily resolve them.<\/p>\n Ask yourself: Which of these thought patterns do you have?<\/p>\n 3. Stop worry\u00a0by moving your body.\u00a0<\/strong>When you worry, your sympathetic\u00a0nervous system\u00a0is activated (it’s the fight or flight system).\u00a0Even if you completely stop worrying, it\u00a0won’t get those neurochemicals out of your body right away. That’s why cardiovascular exercise can really help with worry.<\/p>\n Exercise activates the parasympathetic nervous system\u00a0(in the longer term) which\u00a0relieves stress\u00a0and helps calm the\u00a0body, returning it to\u00a0its emotional baseline.<\/p>\n 4. Try\u00a0mindfulness\u00a0to calm worries.\u00a0<\/strong>The next step to\u00a0stop worrying\u00a0is by\u00a0cultivating mindfulness. By sitting quietly, noticing your thoughts, and letting them go, mindfulness can help redirect worries.\u00a0Over time, mindfulness\u00a0can train the mind to\u00a0calm the body so you don’t get so\u00a0stuck in worries.<\/p>\n To practice\u00a0mindfulness meditation\u00a0all you need is a comfy spot. I find that a mediation video helps me stay focused while doing mindfulness.<\/p>\n Here’s a helpful mindfulness meditation video for a worried mind:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n