Worrying is being overly concerned about a problem. In
the midst of extreme worrying, you may suffer with high anxiety during waking
hours. Chronic worrying can cause such health issues as dry
mouth, fatigue,
inability to concentrate, irritability, nausea,
shortness of breath, trembling and twitching,
digestive
disorders, short-term memory loss, and a heart
attack.
Many people who worry excessively are so anxiety-ridden
that they seek relief in harmful lifestyle habits such as overeating, cigarette
smoking,
or using alcohol and drugs. Don't focus on
eliminating all worry from your life. Instead, pick several of the choices below
as you consistently move into the positive direction of the change you
desperately desire.
1.
Change your worrisome
thoughts:
The more you try not to think about something that worries you, the more
preoccupied your mind becomes with that thought. So suppressing thoughts about
your worries doesn’t work. Instead, pray for the Holy Spirit to renew your
mind. When the Holy Spirit shows you that a worrisome thought doesn’t reflect
what’s true, you can replace that thought with a new one that’s based on the Bible.
2.
Cultivate contentment: If you’re not content with your life the way it is right
now, you’ll be prone to worry. Ask God to teach you to be content with whatever
circumstances you encounter. Trust Him to accomplish good purposes through
whatever type of circumstances you go through at any given time. Make a habit
of noticing the many ways that God is blessing you every day. Express thanks to
God for your relationship with Him, and the blessings He is constantly giving
you.
3.
Develop healthier lifestyle
habits: Unhealthy lifestyle habits may make
you more prone to worrying than you would be if you took care of yourself. So
eat nutritious meals, drink plenty of water, reduce (or eliminate) alcohol and
caffeine, avoid smoking, get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, and say no to
activities that you can’t reasonably handle in your schedule.
4.
Identify what triggers worry
in your life:
You can worry when you encounter any of the following situations that make you
feel out of control: vulnerability, run-away negative thoughts, or an
unexpected traumatic loss experience a loss that’s traumatic. Once you
understand what triggers worry in your life, you can begin to guard against
worry in those situations.
5.
Learn to relax:
Relaxation techniques are a physiological state characterized by a feeling of
quiet mental alertness. This is the opposite of the fight or flight response.
They offer a potential to reduce anxiety and worries. Relaxation techniques can
increase your ability to self-manage stress. With this, blood flow to the brain
increases and brain waves shift from an alert ( beta rhythm) to a relaxed
(alpha rhythm). Common relaxation techniques include deep breathing,
meditation, calming music, and yoga.
6. Stop the
clock: Worried people often have a sense
of urgency. They think the answer is needed immediately, or something terrible
will happen. Rather than focus on the sense of urgency, instead observe the
immediate. You can either focus your mind on getting an answer right now, or
focus on improving the moment. Take a deep breath, read, or listen to music to
stop the clock and curtail your anxiety.
7.
Talk with a therapist:
Psychological counseling can help you develop appropriate coping strategies to
deal with issues that trigger excessive worrying. Psychological intervention
can give you coping methods that you can use either within or outside other
treatment programs. The therapist will help you identify what types of thoughts
and beliefs cause the anxiety, and then work with you to reduce them. Therapy
is only successful if you work on getting better.
8.
Trust God to deal with your
worries: God is always with you, and has the
power to do anything. You can trust any worrisome situation to Him. Invite Him
to work it out for the best. When you struggle to trust God with something
that’s worrying you, ask God to reveal whatever unhealed wounds may be
preventing you from trusting Him completely. [i]
“Stop hiding. Stop holding yourself back, and playing
yourself down. Stop worrying about how you look, and what people are saying.
Stop listening to what people are saying, and trying to find out if they are
whispering about you. Stop waiting for someone to tell you that you are okay,
or to make you feel special. Life is special. It is a special gift. This is
your life. Now take your gift, and live it out in the open. Decide today that
you are going to live out loud.” (Iyanla Vanzant)
[i] Sources used:
· “9
Steps to End Chronic Worrying” bDenise Mann
· “How
to Stop Worrying - 13 Practical Steps” by Whitney Hopler
·
“How Worrying Affects the Body” Reviewed by Joseph Goldberg
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