Anxieties, uncertainties, and worries are common throughout life. It’s normal to be anxious about a first date, an impending job interview, or an unpaid payment. However, when concern is uncontrollable and persistent, it transcends the realm of “normal.” You can’t stop worrying about “what ifs” and worst-case situations, and your anxiety is interfering with your day-to-day activities.
It can be detrimental to your mental and physical well-being to constantly worry, think negatively, and anticipate the worse. It can weaken your emotional fortitude, make you jittery and restless, induce headaches, upset stomachs, insomnia, tense muscles, and make it hard to focus at work or school.
You might try to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, vent your bad emotions on the people closest to you, or try to divert your attention by dozing off in front of screens. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a prevalent anxiety condition characterized by tension, nervousness, and a generalized feeling of unease that permeates your entire life, can also have chronic worrying as a key symptom.
There are actions you may take to stop worrying if excessive worry and tension consume you. It is possible to overcome the mental habit of persistent worry. Your brain can be trained to remain composed and adopt a more fearless, balanced outlook on life.
Why is it difficult to stop worrying?
nxiety might cause you to be tense and jittery throughout the day and keep you up at night. And even though you detest being anxious all the time, it can be really hard to quit.
The majority of people who worry constantly find that their anxious thoughts are fed by their ideas about worrying, both good and bad:
Bad beliefs about worrying
It’s possible that you think your incessant worrying may hurt you, make you crazy, or have an adverse effect on your physical well-being. Alternatively, you can be concerned that your worrying will become uncontrollable and unstoppable.
Positive ideas about worrying can be just as harmful as negative ones, since worrying about worrying only makes you feel more anxious and worried.
Good beliefs about worrying
You can think that worrying keeps awful things from happening to you, solves problems, gets you ready for the worst, or something like that. Perhaps you convince yourself that if you focus on an issue long enough, you’ll finally solve it? Or maybe you just think that worrying is the best way to make sure you don’t miss anything, or that worrying is a responsible thing to do?
If you think that worrying is beneficial, it can be difficult to break the worrying habit. You may take back control of your troubled mind once you understand that worrying is the cause of the issue rather than the cure.
How to take control of constant worrying
Tip #1 – Create a time during each day for worrying
It is challenging to be effective in your daily chores when worry and anxiety divert you from your job, your studies, or your personal life. This is when it could be a good idea to put off worrying.
Telling oneself to stop worrying is not going to help. Actually, trying to do so frequently makes your worries worse and takes longer to resolve. This is because trying to “thought stop” forces you to concentrate harder on the precise thought you’re trying to avoid.
That being said, there are still steps you may do to manage your anxiety. All you need is an alternative strategy. This is when the postponement of anxiety tactic becomes useful. Give yourself permission to have worried thoughts rather than attempting to suppress or eliminate them.
-
- Establish a “worry period.” Decide on a specific time and location to worry. It should take place in the living room between 5:00 and 5:20 p.m. every day, for example, and early enough to avoid causing anxiety immediately before bed. You are free to worry about whatever on your mind during this time. But the remainder of the day is worry-free.
- Put your worries in writing. During the day, if an anxious thought or fear occurs to you, jot it down briefly and move on with your day. There’s no need to worry about it now; you can always think about it later. Remind yourself of this. Furthermore, jotting down your ideas on paper—whether on a pad, your phone, or your computer—takes a lot more effort than just thinking them through, so the impact of your anxieties is likely to diminish.
- Examine your “worry list” when you’re feeling anxious. Allow yourself to worry about the things you put down if they are still upsetting you, but just for the duration of your worry period. This kind of in-depth analysis of your concerns will frequently make it simpler for you to adopt a more impartial viewpoint. Simply end your worrying session early and go enjoy the remainder of your day if your worries no longer seem to be relevant.
Delaying worry helps you overcome the habit of thinking about your problems when you have other things to accomplish. It also makes it easier to ignore or evaluate the issue. All you do is store it for later. You’ll also begin to see that you have more power than you may have initially believed when you learn to put off your nervous thoughts.
Tip #2 – Challenge anxious thoughts
It’s likely that you see the environment in a way that exaggerates how dangerous it is if you experience ongoing anxiety and concern. For instance, you might overestimate the likelihood that things won’t work out well, go straight to the worst-case scenarios, or act as though every worried idea were true.
You can also doubt your own capacity to deal with life’s challenges, believing that issues will overwhelm you the moment they arise. Cognitive distortions are the term for these illogical, negative viewpoints.
Even if cognitive distortions are unfounded, they are difficult to overcome. Frequently, they are a part of an ingrained thought pattern that has been with you your entire life and you aren’t even fully conscious of it.
The following cognitive distortions increase stress, worry, and anxiety:
An all-or-nothing perspective. Observing things as black or white, devoid of any gray areas. “I’m a complete failure if everything is not flawless.”
Oversimplifying things. Extrapolating a bad experience in a broad sense and assuming it will always be the case. “I was not given the job.” I will never be employed.
Making snap judgments. Interpreting things negatively without providing supporting data. You speak as though you read minds: “I know she hates me in secret.” Or a fortune teller saying, “I have a terrible feeling something bad is about to happen.”
The filter in the mind. Ignoring the good and concentrating on the drawbacks. focusing on the one issue that went wrong rather than all the positive aspects of the situation. “I answered the test’s final question incorrectly. I’m a moron.”
Labeling yourself. Self-criticism stemming from errors and perceived inadequacies. “I deserve to be alone; I’m boring and a failure.”
Personalization. Taking accountability for circumstances that are beyond your control. “I am to blame for my son’s accident. I ought to have advised him to drive cautiously in the downpour.
Dismissing the positives. constructing arguments against the inclusion of positive events. “I performed well in the presentation, but it was pure serendipity.”
Exaggerating bad encounters. Preparing for the worst possible situation. “There will be some turbulence, the pilot said. There will be a plane crash!
Sensational logic. Thinking that your feelings are a true reflection of reality. “I feel like a complete idiot. I can bet they’re all laughing at me.
“Should-nots” and “shoulds” Punishing yourself for breaking any of the rules and holding yourself to a rigid code of what you should and shouldn’t do. “I ought never to have attempted to strike up a discussion with her. Such a fool, me.
How to challenge constant worrying thoughts
You must retrain your brain to overcome these negative thought patterns and put an end to the worry and anxiety they cause. Once you’ve located the negative ideas, approach them as hypotheses you’re testing rather than accepting them as gospel. A more impartial viewpoint will emerge as you investigate and confront your fears and uneasy ideas.
During a worry spell, challenge your negative thoughts by asking:
- What proof exists that the idea is correct? because it isn’t accurate?
- Is there another realistic, upbeat way to look at the situation?
- What is the likelihood that what I fear will come to pass? Which of the following scenarios are more likely if the chance is low?
- Is the idea beneficial? What good will thinking about it do for me, and what harm will it do?
- How would I respond if a buddy expressed similar concerns?
Tip #3 – Ask yourself – “Is what is causing me to worry within my control”
According to research, worrying makes you momentarily feel less nervous. Rehashing the issue in your mind helps you to block out your feelings and gives you a sense of accomplishment. However, worrying and fixing problems are not the same thing.
Assessing a situation, formulating a plan of action, and implementing the strategy are all parts of problem resolution. Conversely, worrying rarely results in answers. You’re no longer equipped to handle worst-case situations should they come true, regardless of how much time you spend thinking about them.
Is your worry something you can control?
When a worry crosses your mind, begin by considering whether you can truly control or address the issue.
- Is the issue something you’re dealing with right now as opposed to a hypothetical scenario?
- How probable is it to occur if the issue is an imaginary what-if? Is your worry warranted?
- Is there anything you can do to prepare for or address the issue, or is it beyond your control?
You may act immediately on worries that are productive and solvable. For instance, you may give your creditors a call to inquire about flexible payment arrangements if you’re concerned about your payments.
Anxiety that is unproductive and unmanageable is worry that has no accompanying action. “What if I ever develop cancer?” or “What happens if my child gets hurt?”
If the worry is in your control, start thinking of ideas
Think of every potential resolution that comes to mind. Try not to become overly fixated on coming up with the ideal answer to a concern. Pay more attention to the things you can manage than to the situations or realities that are out of your hands.
Create a plan of action after weighing your choices. You’ll experience a significant reduction in anxiety once you’ve made a strategy and taken action to address the issue.
If the worry is NOT in your control, accept the uncertainty
This is generally where the majority of your worried thoughts reside if you’re a chronic worrier. We frequently worry in an attempt to control the future and avoid unpleasant surprises by trying to forecast what will happen in the future. The issue is that it is ineffective.
Life is not much more predictable when one considers all the possible outcomes. Worrying may make you feel safer, but that is really a mirage. Worrying about the worst-case situation will only prevent you from appreciating the wonderful things in your life right now. You must learn to accept the uncertainty that all people experience in life if you want to quit worrying.
Address your need for quick fixes. Do you often assume that just because something is uncertain, unpleasant things will happen? How likely is it that they will? Is it feasible to live with the slim possibility that something bad might happen given how unlikely it is?
Find out how other people handle uncertainty. Find out from your friends and family how they handle ambiguity in particular circumstances. Could you follow suit? For instance, you may feel less nervous if you ask a neighbor how they handle uncertainty when their child rides the bus to school.
Be aware of your feelings. Anxiety over uncertainty is frequently a coping mechanism for negative feelings. However, you cannot ignore your feelings. Your emotions are momentarily repressed when you worry, but they quickly return when you stop. You then begin to worry about your emotions, asking yourself, “What’s wrong with me? I shouldn’t be experiencing this!
Tip #4 – Stop the worry and stress cycle in it’s tracks
Excessive worry can give you the impression that bad ideas are replaying themselves in your brain. The weight of all this tension may make you feel as though you’re ready to burn out, are going insane, or are spinning out of control.
However, there are things you can do right now to stop worrying nonstop, reduce your stress level, and give yourself a break from your incessant worrying.
Get moving and get active. Start an exercise routing you can stick to. Exercise releases endorphins, which reduce stress and tension, increase energy, and improve your sense of wellbeing, it is a safe and effective natural anti-anxiety medication. More significantly, you may stop the unending stream of concerns from entering your mind by paying close attention to how your body feels when you move.
When you walk, run, or dance, for example, pay attention to how your feet feel on the ground, how your breathing rhythm changes, or how the sun or breeze feels on your skin.
Attend a class in tai chi or yoga. Practices such as yoga or tai chi help you focus your thoughts on your movements and breathing, which helps you stay in the present moment, clear your mind, and become relaxed.
Try some meditation. The way meditation works is that it helps you shift your attention from past or future worries to the present moment. You can break free from the never-ending cycle of worrying and negative thoughts by giving your whole attention to the here and now.
It’s not necessary to chant, burn candles or incense, or sit cross-legged. To begin your meditation, just locate a peaceful, comfortable spot and select a free audio meditation from our selection.
Engage in progressive muscular relaxation. This can assist you in ending the never-ending cycle of worry by directing your attention away from your thoughts and toward your body. You can relieve muscle tension in your body by tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in turn. And your thoughts will unwind in tandem with your body.
Take several deep breaths. Worrying makes you tense and causes your breathing to quicken, which frequently fuels more worry. However, you can silence negative thoughts and relax your mind by engaging in deep breathing exercises.
The practice or relaxation can adjust the brain
The aforementioned relaxing methods might temporarily ease anxiety and concern, but frequent use can potentially alter your brain chemistry. Studies have indicated that consistent meditation practice can enhance activity in the left prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain linked to emotions of happiness and calmness.
You will feel more in control of your anxious thoughts and worries and enjoy better anxiety alleviation the more you practice.
Tip #5 – Talk to others about your concerns
While it may sound like a simple fix, one of the best ways to relax and reduce anxiety is to have a face-to-face conversation with a trusted friend or family member—someone who will listen to you without passing judgment or becoming sidetracked. Talking about your fears might help things appear far less scary when they start to spin out of control.
Keeping your troubles to yourself simply makes them accumulate until they become unbearable. However, expressing them aloud can frequently assist you in gaining perspective and understanding your feelings. Speaking out loud about your unfounded fears can help you see them for what they are: baseless anxieties.
If your concerns are legitimate, talking to someone else about them could help you come up with answers you wouldn’t have come up with on your own.
Create a solid network of support. People are sociable animals. It is not our intended purpose to live alone. However, having a large social circle of friends is not always a sign of a robust support system. The value of having a small group of individuals you can rely on to support you cannot be overstated. Additionally, it’s never too late to make new acquaintances if you don’t think you have someone with whom to confide.
Understand who to stay away from when you’re anxious. It’s possible that you acquired your nervous outlook on life from your upbringing. No matter how close you are, if your mother is a chronic worrier, it is not a good idea to call her when you’re feeling nervous. Think about if you usually feel better or worse after talking to that individual about a situation before deciding who to turn to.
Tip #6 – Try the practice of mindfulness
When you worry, you normally think about the future—what might occur and how you might respond to it—or the past—reliving the things you’ve said or done. By returning your focus to the present, the age-old practice of mindfulness can assist you in overcoming your concerns.
This technique helps you discover where your thinking is creating issues and connect with your emotions by first having you observe your anxieties and then letting them go.
Notice and observe your worries. Instead of attempting to control, resist, or ignore them as you usually would. Instead, just watch them without commenting or passing judgment, as though you were an outsider.
Let go of your worries. You’ll notice that nervous thoughts come and go quickly, like clouds passing through the sky, if you don’t try to control them. You only become stuck when you give in to your worries.
Stay in the present moment. Observe your body’s sensations, your breathing pattern, your fluctuating emotions, and the passing thoughts in your head. Return your focus to the here and now if you notice that you are becoming fixated on a certain idea.
Repeat these practices each day. The idea of practicing mindfulness to maintain present-moment awareness is straightforward, but it needs persistence and regular application to see results. You may initially notice that your thoughts constantly returning to your concerns. Try not to lose your temper. You are reiterating a new mental habit that will assist you in escaping the negative worry cycle each time you bring your attention back to the here and now.
A simple start to mindfulness meditation
- Locate a peaceful area
- With your hands resting on the tops of your upper legs and your back straight, take a seat on a cozy chair or cushion.
- Shut your eyes and inhale deeply through your nose, letting the air enter your lower abdomen. Give your belly room to grow.
- Exhale through your mouth.
- Concentrate on one part of your breathing, such the feeling of air entering your mouth and exiting it, or the rising and falling of your stomach with each breath.
- If your thoughts stray, bring them back to your breathing without passing judgment.
- Try to spend ten minutes a day, three or four times a week, meditating. Each minute matters.
We hope this article gave you some worthwhile oadvice on how to stop constant worry in your life.
If your worrying is getting beyond something that you can handle, please contact a professional.
