It started when I was about ten years old and I would often be awake until the early hours thinking about all the What Ifs.
I would love to tell you that I no longer worry about things, that I live my life in a zen like zone, but I don’t. I still have worries.
The difference is that I can control them rather than them controlling me.
When I start to worry about something, I ask myself, ‘Can I change the outcome?’
If I can, then I do something about it, taking action rather than worrying.
If I can’t, then I write it down. It sounds as though this would make it worse, because I am focusing on worrying, but getting it on paper actually stops the whirlwind of thoughts tht are going around my head so that I can see it clearly.
Once I have written down all my worries, I read them back and objectively look at how realistic they are, whether I can do anything and how much impact it will have on my life. The vast majority of the time, they aren’t realistic and they won’t have a permanent impact on me, so I can move on.
If the worries are still there and I can’t change anything, I do some meditation to help me feel calmer and in control.
Do you have any tips to help with worries?