Oct
15
Worried about the future?
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Photo by Popsicle
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.
-Corrie Ten Boom
Worry has become epidemic lately – like the plague. Finances, jobs, morality, kids, politics. It seems the whole world is worried.
The thing about worry though, is it only seems productive. You don’t accomplish anything but getting stressed, impairing your health and feeling grumpy.
It puts us in a state where we aren’t thinking clearly. We are only thinking through fear and what if’s. We are less able to handle life. What happens will happen whether we worry about it or not.
Here are some tips to decrease your worry:
- If you are feeling worried, the first thing to do is write it down. I find if I write it in a journal, my mind doesn’t have to keep going over it again and again.
- Taking a long walk can help you get back into a state where you can deal with your worry.
- Check your breathing. Are you breathing shallowly? Your mind needs as much oxygen as possible so take a deep breath.
- Take the optimistic view about what could happen. Running an endless loop about what could go wrong doesn’t make anything better.
- Put on some peppy, happy music and see how fast you brighten up.
- Take a certain time to worry each day and postpone worry to that time (but, not close to bedtime). During that time you can worry, but then try to shift into problem solving.
- Make a plan to deal with what you are worried about. If finances have you scared, start saving. Sell some things. If you are worried about your job, start getting feelers out for other jobs. Have your brain focus on finding your options.
- If you are in a situation you don’t know how to get out of – ask for help.
- After your worry time, soothe yourself with breathing, music, reading, yoga, prayer, or a comedy.
- Do something for someone else. Get your mind of your life for a bit.
- Write down what is going good in your life. What do you have right now that you can be thankful for? Most of what we worry about isn’t even affecting the present moment.
- Work on strengthening yourself for what happens through self-care and exercise, creating a supportive community, and building character.
- Question whether these worries are even realistic. Will you really get fired if you make one mistake? Will your friends really hate you if you miss the party? Will you really die if you have to give a speech?
- Remember, these negative thoughts are not necessarily true. Most often the things you worry about never happen. We are pretty bad about predicting the future.
- Turn off the news for awhile. The news feeds the worry machine. Just turn it off.
- Remember when you handled bad situations well and with strength. You can do it again!
Enjoy today and live your life the best way you know how. Tomorrow will come and it might be marvelous.
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Great suggestions!
Eckhart Tolle says that depression comes from residing in the past and that worry and anxiety come from residing in the future, which does not exist yet. Therefore, you are worrying about fantasies. Reality only exists in this moment, right now.
It’s so hard not to feed the fantasy/worry monster; he BEGS a lot, especially lately.
One thing I do with him is wear him out through intense physical acitivy — a good, fast bike ride, followed by some yoga that includes a lot of breath of fire. Very cleansing.
Peace & bliss to everyone (and yes, turn OFF those TV’s — they’re just manipulating you!),
christine
normally, i would totally agree with you. what about the financial planner who is on the edge with worry in our current economy? he can’t turn off the news, it’s hard to be optimistic when each day the market plunges further. self-care he does but it’s all that he can do. do you have any further advice?
Thanks for sharing that BlissChick and can I say I adore your blog!
Mary, it doesn’t mean everything will be fine, it means you get yourself ready for whatever comes. So a financial planner would already be having trouble because of the financial issues facing the world right now. A financial planner would have to decide how he wants to lead the people he serves, whether he even wants to be a financial planner anymore if it is too stressful, prepare alternatives in case he loses his job, make sure he has other interests outside of work that makes life worthwhile. Worrying won’t make financial disaster any less likely. Worry pretends to be dealing with the issues, but isn’t doing anything. It will cloud the judgment needed for a financial planner to make good decisions. And he needs all his strength and a clear mind to deal with his clients’ worries and finances.
love your answer, Beth.
Good advice for crazy times! The reality is we are far better off than 1929 which seems to be the current benchmark for how bad things can get financially. Worrying has no value, though I’ll admit I’ve succumbed to it more frequently lately
I agree because worry does not change anything- hearing things and dealing with them as they come is not worry but common sense- some things we can change but we ourselves can never change others or the future-
I used to worry about nearly everything and if I was not worried I would worry about not worrying
then dear hubby got pancreatic cancer and we discovered all the past worry had simply been a waste of our time together so although his cancer was terminal we did not worry because we were so grateful for yesterday, today and tomorrow- and we lived more in his last 7 months of life than we would have if we had tarnished it with worry- yes, we were sad but we were also glad…….
thank you beth. my financial planner hubby took up the couch potato to 5k running program although he is no where near a couch potato, it’s a nice change in exercise. christine, you give some great advice. i also filled his nano with music and he has turned off the news on the commute.
thanks for reminding that only this moment is real. live this moment well and you will always be happy.
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