Everyone gets worried from time to time.
Due to the current economic climate it makes it harder for families both in the USA & UK and across the world. With spiralling bills and food costs and all time high for families and single people. Life is becoming more a fit for survival instead of actually living, due to this the stress levels and depression rates have climbed at a all time high in history.
However, there are many strategies to help us learn how to stop worrying, manage stress, and start thriving.
That along with climate change, can alter a shift in your spiritual and mental mind of state dwelling.
However, too much worry can make it difficult to enjoy life.
Here our a few best strategies for how to stop worrying. We’ll give you the tools you need to get your stress and worry under control.
Some feelings of worry is normal, worry helps pushes us to find solutions to real and present problems, as we all know. However, chronic worry, even about things out of our control, can severely impact our mental health. The good news?
For example those who worry to much can affect there health, as someone who suffers from high blood pressure.
Chronic worrying can be a symptom of something more serious, like an anxiety disorder. This type of worry can lead to physical symptoms like muscle tension, insomnia or poor sleep stomach pain, back pain, and panic attacks.
Why do I worry so much?
if any of these reasons could be causing your anxiety:
A stressful work environment - Redundancy / Unemployment/ Maternity Leave Return
Dealing with a toxic leadership
Life changes such as having a child, divorce, moving
Financial challenges, Behind on rent & mortgage payments, Urgent house restoration and repair.
Relationship conflict with family, friends, or others
Physical health issues or concerns
Everyday inconveniences like traffic or housework
Too many social commitments, responsibilities, or obligations
Lack of time for self-care practices and hobbies
How worrying affects your body
Along with causing physical symptoms, excessive worry can make you physically ill, worry and stress can also make it harder to recover from illness. If this sounds like you, it’s time to learn how to stop worrying.
Physical signs can be the first sign that constant worrying is becoming a problem. Headaches, stomach aches, and shortness of breath can indicate that you’re experiencing excessive worry.
Learning how to stop worrying can bring relief and happiness to your life. This can quickly reverse the effects of excessive stress and anxiety.
How can you stop worrying?
Here are our best strategies for how to stop worrying and finally start living:
Mindfulness and meditation
Deep breathing
Do a body scan
Share your fears with friends and family, online or with complete strangers- sometimes a unknown source of non judgement can offer more consolation/ advice and a mirror we need.
Keep an emotions journal
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
Exercise more often
Take positive action
Enlist professional help
1. Reduce stress by worrying by practicing mindfulness and meditation & Deep Breathing
Having constant rumination on negative thoughts is a bad habit. Over time, meditation will allow you to focus on your priorities and knock tasks off your to-do list with ease. Learning to focus on what’s in front of you, instead of your worries, can truly change your life.
Tips such as sitting in a quiet room and clearing your mind can do wonders for your well-being. Mindfulness and meditation can take your focus away from negative thoughts, stop you from feeling anxious, and inspire a state of calm.
When we worry, we often focus on bad things that might happen in the future. Staying in the current moment can help relieve worries and negative thinking — plus reduce physical symptoms.
You may experience shortness of breath or chest pain when you start to worry. Practicing deep breathing can redirect your attention from your worries and help you become grounded in the present.
Whether you’re having trouble sleeping or you feel a panic attack coming on, deep breathing is a quick and easy way to stop worrying.
2. Reduce Stress by learning to: Practice self compassion & Gratitude
As we focus on one negative thought, it primes our brain to look for more.
This is one reason why a daily gratitude practice can be so helpful and even life-changing.
Having trouble finding something to be grateful for? Take a step back and look for what is interesting about the situation or funny. Engage your mind through curiosity and humor. This can quickly shift you into a better place and provide a needed break from the negative thoughts.
While it may take practice, learning to turn your negative thoughts around can be a great way to stop worrying.
3. Reduce stress by: Sharing your fears with supportive friends & family
It’s easy to get lost in your thoughts as a chronic worrier, forgetting about family and friends without realizing it.
Sharing the source of your stress, anxiety, or worry with a family member or friend can help you maintain perspective. Many times, our worries are irrational, but they don’t seem that way in our own minds. Talking with supportive friends or family can offer a new view of the situation and be an effective way to stop worrying.
4. Reduce Stress by: Maintaining a regular sleep schedule*
Without sleep, minor worries can trigger a stress response that perpetuates for days or weeks in a row. *Where possible.
Insomnia is a common side effect of chronic worry. When your mind is running wild, it can be tough to relax and get enough sleep. While you may feel like staying up will help you “solve” your worries, you’re often better off with a restorative night’s sleep.
Here are some steps to support you:
Do a quick meditation or mindfulness exercise before bed
Drink a cup of calming tea and read a book right before you go to sleep
Stop use of electronics at least an hour before bedtime (social media is shown to be linked to anxiety)
Use natural sleep aids such as lavender, melatonin, or essential oils
If you can’t get your mind to stop, take a moment to journal your thoughts (but give yourself a time limit so you still get to bed on time!)
If you try these don't work and still can’t get consistent, quality sleep, consider talking to your doctor. You could be suffering from insomnia, never hesitate to ask for help when you need it.
5. Reduce Stress by: Understanding - What you can control & What you can’t control
Many people falsely believe that spending more time worrying about a problem will make it easier to find a solution. Worrying is usually focused on a problem that needs to be controlled, putting our focus on “what if” rather than the present moment.
If you’re struggling as a chronic worrier, ask yourself, “What can I control?” This can help you be more proactive when there is something you can do. Plus, this mindset can help release your worry when you discover there’s nothing you need to do about the situation.
Want to learn how to stop worrying about things out of your control? When you notice there’s nothing you can or need to control right now, stop searching for a solution and let yourself relax.
6. Reduce Stress by: Taking positive steps to Improve the level of stress
Not only does taking positive action distract you from your worries, but it also allows you to expel extra energy. Doing something you love is a great way to keep your stress at bay and leave behind your worry habit.
Focusing on any activity that makes you feel good can quickly shift your state of mind and help you stop worrying instantly. Here are a few powerful positive actions you can take right now:
Listening to your favourite podcast
Paint or work on a creative project —
Watch your favourite movie and indulge in a delicious snack whist reading a book-
" My guilty pleasure".....:)
Blast your most loved music while doing the dishes or cleaning your home
Ultimately, participating in a hobby or an activity you truly enjoy is a powerful method for helping you learn how to stop worrying.
7. Reduce Stress by: Seeking out Professional help and support
Chronic conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder or depression are tough to address on your own.
When anxiety, stress, and worry become too much to handle alone, the best method for how to stop worrying is to seek professional help.
There are limitless ways to get the help you need. Cognitive-behavioural therapy, specifically, can be a great, life-changing tool.
Remember to speak to a few different therapists, coaches, or counsellors to help you find the right fit. Prioritize your mental health, its important.
In time, with the right professionals on your team, you can finally stop worrying and start living. Ultimately, you deserve to live a life you love, and endless worry can prevent you from fully thriving.
