Dealing With Worry

It is a rare person who can truly say that they don’t worry.

Most of us recognise the distracting thoughts, the what if this and what if that happens scenario

The unpleasant thoughts that nothing will be the same again.

However, most of the time worry serves no useful function. It only serves to steal our energy and tends to paralyse us from taking the action that would help.

Take Action

So worry only leads to emotional upset. We put off taking appropriate decisions or action to solve our problems. The body becomes affected by headaches, muscular pains and stomach problems. Worry takes over and we get locked into a worry cycle that stops us from just getting on with life. When we worry it has an impact on our quality of life and of those around us we need to take action. Taking action or controlling the situation where possible is empowering. Change your perception of the problem, use different and more positive language to yourself to describe the problem. Let it become a concern or a challenge that needs resolving not saying to yourself that you are helpless or worried sick. Make positive changes and do things that you have been promising yourself for a long time. Make them happen and you change your mood and your perception of the worry as well.

Restrict the time you allow worry. Say STOP to yourself if you find that you are worrying too much. Have a REALITY CHECK. Ask yourself how likely is it that this worry will materialise in the way you imagine. Most times it is very unlikely. Decide that if the worst should happen how you would deal with it.

TAKE ACTION. By taking control or action is the solution. It is not only a helpful and practical approach; it lowers your anxiety levels further aiding your resolve to solve the problem.

Remember you are only powerless if you allow yourself to be so.

Expectations in life

What is it that you expect in your life? Do you go for the good things, a positive outlook, or its reverse, only expecting the worst – a negative outlook? Do you feel you don’t measure up, comparing yourself to other people? The more the negative thoughts, the more you allow ‘self- sabotaging’, ensuring that you stop yourself from achieving better things.

Let me give you an example. Just for a moment, I would like you to think about eating a delicious piece of your favourite chocolate. Think about it and notice what happens. Most people will notice that their mouth starts watering. Your body is reacting to the thought of the chocolate. So it follows that any type of thought process evokes a physical response. So what tends to happen is that with every negative thought you mind-body connection results in a physical response that prevents you even attempting things.

The most important thing you can gain from reading this is an understanding of the mind-body connection. We can achieve what we want to achieve. We can be who we want to be. The only proviso is we need to want it enough. There is no such thing as instant gratification – good things need effort and commitment. The many people that I see have made their decisions. They either want to:

feel better

feel less stressed/anxious

stop being depressed

be more confident

stop drinking

lose weight

stop smoking

etc

All these people have one thing in common – they have decided that they want to improve aspects of their life and are prepared to achieve their goals.

Some people are so entrenched in their negative

attitudes that it is difficult to take the first step and come to see me. However, once overcome, they learn that they are capable of so much more. They just have to want to. They allow change and they allow personal growth and progress.

So remember, if you know that you need more but keep putting the decision off, think about the chocolate evoking its physical response. So don’t delay. Don’t procrastinate, call me today and let me help you achieve what you need.