Worry can have its place in life — if it encourages us to act and incites life-improving change it’s serving its purpose. But if worrying has just become habit, with idle fretting and rumination a general way to cope with the world at large, it might be time to nip it in the bud. Here are a couple of ways to deal with worry in your life:
1. Accept uncertainty.
Oftentimes, worry can be a persistent fear of the unknown. But what’s so great about certainty? Ask yourself some questions: Is it possible to be certain about everything in life? How could uncertainty be helpful? If you are imagining the worst case scenarios just as a matter of course, try envisioning a range of outcomes, from good too bad to just acceptable; all are equally probable.
2. Set aside a worry time.
Worry wart ways won’t be undone in a moment, so allow yourself the time and space in your life to worry. Maybe you need to give yourself 15 minutes on your morning commute. Postpone all worries that spring up at other times in the day by noting them and coming back to them during the worry time. The idea is to confine your worry to one brief part of your day so that your concerns aren’t stretching to fill every waking moment. After “worry time” remember to “let it go”, move on to something else more positive. Cheers!
