The bad
We all recognise the syndrome. You can't sleep and you can't get those pessimistic thoughts out of your head. All those doubts and fears deep within your mind paralyse your thinking. An invidious cycle begins whereby your anxiety levels soar sapping your emotional energy and darkening your day-to-day life with burgeoning black neuroses. Constant worrying takes a heavy toll. It keeps you up at night and makes you tense and edgy during the day. You hate feeling like a nervous wreck, but what can you do? It's as if, by constantly being preoccupied with all those "what ifs" and worst-case scenarios, worry itself becomes a problem all on its own. You may worry that you're going to lose all control over your worrying - that it will take over and never stop.
The good
The good news is that chronic worrying is a mental habit you can learn how to break. Worrying can actually be helpful when it spurs you to take action and solve a problem. You can train your brain to stay calm and collected and to look at life from a more positive perspective. Tell yourself: maybe I'll find a solution; I don't want to overlook anything; if I keep thinking a little longer, maybe I'll work it out; I don't want to be surprised; I want to be responsible; my worrying helps me avoid bad things, prevents problems, prepares me for the worst, or leads to solutions.
The downright positive
Accept uncertainty as a fact. Start by asking yourself why you need certainty and immediate answers. Life isn't like that. Thinking about all the things that could go wrong doesn't make life any more predictable. Focusing on worst-case scenarios won't keep bad things from happening. It will only keep you from enjoying the good things you have in the present.
Create your own personal worry period - preferably not just before bedtime. Allow yourself during this period to mull over whatever's on your mind. The rest of the day, however, must become a worry-free zone.
Postpone worries that occur outside of your worry period. Make a note of whatever it is that worries you at the time and then carry it forward to your own personal worry period. Tell yourself that there's plenty of time to worry about it later, freeing you to carry on with your normal routine in the meantime. This will break your previously constant worry habits and give you more mental control.
Challenge negative thoughts. Stop overestimating the possibility that things will go wrong. Stop running yourself down. These irrational, pessimistic attitudes are known as cognitive distortions, but you can do something about it by retraining your brain.
Recognise the following red-flag scenarios and avoid them:
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I made a mistake, therefore I'm a complete failure.
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I didn't get hired for that job, so I'll never get any job ever again.
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Although I did well at that task, it must have been sheer luck.
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There's turbulence on the flight: we're gonna crash!
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It's my fault my daughter had an accident - I should have warned her.
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Learn how to relax. Try deep breathing, meditation, tai chi or yoga. All help to reduce stress and worry.
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Take care of yourself. Adopt healthy eating habits. Take a little exercise and get enough sleep.
Don't be afraid to ask for help
However resolved you may be to correct your habitual worrying nature, help is always available. Tell yourself it isn't a sign of weakness to ask a trusted family member or friend for help when you're overwhelmed with worry. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have such help and support within their own family or from a friend. That's why it's always good to know that, by a click of a mouse, you can find a helpful therapist via Uticopa's therapy support services.
Simply getting all that strain off your chest can help enormously. So, don't worry!
