When Worry Takes Hold Of Us
Worry is a state of mind in which we settle when we anticipate unpleasant and even unforeseeable events or consequences. It means a trip to the future that somehow incapacitates us in the present since it hijacks part of our mental resources, looking for a solution to what is often only a possibility.
Sometimes this produces symptoms on a physical level such as dizziness, headaches, hair loss, skin problems, etc. The body speaks to us and almost orders us to please stop, that enough to ruminate like cows and that it is time to put the cards on the table and face the real problem, outside the hypothetical and distressing scenarios that we design in our mind.
Although it seems easy to say it, freeing yourself from worry is an arduous task because it tends to be terribly intrusive, it takes over, robs us of the ability to think clearly and leaves us in the present.
Thanks to the ability we have to direct our thoughts, we can dismiss worry from our mind. It is a difficult weapon to use because we practice little with it, but if we want to combat the powerful adversary that is worrying, we have no choice but to learn to use it consciously, to “tame” it so that it can put our service.
Worry deceives us
Sometimes worrying may seem beneficial to us, but it is only a deception. They have sold us that worrying is about responsible people and that thanks to them we can solve problems more efficiently.
In reality this is not true, since the only thing that can solve our problems is, again, the control we have over our thoughts, which we can use to deal with them. If they are solvable they will not help to find a solution and if they are not solvable they will not help us to integrate and adapt.
It is not uncommon for concern to be outwardly reinforced in a positive way. In fact, many think that something that does not concern us does not matter, when this is not true. Many times, we have already found the solution to what others say “should worry us” or we have simply managed to accept it and draw up a life plan in which we assume that we have to live with it.
How can I control my worry?
If there is something we can control, it is our own mind and worry is part of it. Forget about using worry to try to prevent unpleasant future events from happening. If they have to happen, they will happen and you better deal with them right then and there.
Some recommendations that you can follow to get rid of worries, and in turn of the dreaded anxiety, are:
Live in the present
Many times we are anchored in the past by something that happened and that we can no longer modify and we feel guilty and on the contrary, other times we worry about the possibility that something bad for us or for us will happen and we feel anxious.
Either way, we are taking time away from the present and it is the only real thing. Make an effort, with your willpower, to be in the present, to attend a conversation, to observe your surroundings, to concentrate on what you are doing. We cannot think of two things at the same time, so striving to think about what you have here and now frees you from worrying about an uncertain future.
Assuming the worst can happen
Sometimes in life very unpleasant things can happen and that give a radical turn to our world but even so, we have to know that we will get ahead and we will be able to bear it. Sure that what you think can happen in reality is very difficult to happen but there is a possibility, so it is good that you assume it and know that even with it, you will survive.
Methodically analyze the solutions to each problem
As we have commented, the only truly productive thing that exists is to take care of the problem once we have it in front of us and for this we must analyze what the solutions are, if there are any. Write down all the solutions you can think of and then rate them as the most plausible and the least.
Keep time busy
Activity is a good way to free your mind from the ghosts that sometimes haunt you. If you want to worry less about everything, choose an activity that is absorbing for you or even several and keep your mind occupied, so that it is very difficult for your mind to be distracted by thinking about the problem.
Use probabilities correctly
Since the possibility you fear is highly unlikely to occur, you must learn to handle the probabilities. Do not confuse possible with probable because they are far from being synonymous. Think about how many flights there are every day and how many plane accidents there are per day, actually that your plane crashing is possible but not likely.
