Dealing with worry can lead you to all types of coping strategies, including substances. This can spiral out of hand in a big hurry.
There’s another way of dealing, and GenuLines has a list of pointers for your consideration
7 Ways To Use Mindfulness To Attack Worry
You freeze when it happens. You don’t know what to do or how to move forward.
Your thoughts circle like vultures, waiting for your inevitable demise.
It’s only a matter of time. Worry has a way of derailing everything in your day.
Using mindfulness, though, is a quick, easy way to get things back on track.
Stay in the Moment
Take a step back to examine the worrying thought. Start with the acceptance of the thought itself.
This is the heart of mindfulness.
Trying to ignore the worry only makes it worse. By giving the thought your attention, and then placing a label on it, you take power away from it.
For example, let’s say you have money worries. You might start by telling yourself, “Yes, I am worried about paying the bills this month.”
Find the Emotions
Once you’ve labeled your worries, identify the emotion accompanying it. Once you’ve got this, be honest with yourself.
What do these emotions make you feel like doing?
Kill the Worry with Normalcy
Instead of avoiding the worry, pay mindful attention to it. Remind yourself that this worry is normal.
Do this every time it comes up. In time it’ll seem less threatening.
Look for Patterns
Do these worries creep up at certain times? Using mindfulness means you’re paying attention to your thoughts in the moment.
Understanding what sets you off is a great way to keep the worrying thought from happening at all. You’ll find yourself catching those damaging thoughts much faster.
And you’ll be able to shut them down that much faster.
Redirect
With mindfulness, you’re very much aware of the worries the moment they begin. You’re capable of taking control of them.
And you can switch them something else immediately, putting your attention there instead.
Allow the Emotion to Play Out
Worry comes with a slew of negative emotions. Mindfulness means you’re aware of what you’re feeling right now.
If you find yourself falling into the fears and anxiety coupled with worry, let them play out. Imagine watching them from a distance, rather than suppressing them.
This will let them dissipate in a natural way rather than escalate.
Flip it Around
Worried about trying something new? Rather than avoid it, try it anyway.
Handle the worries you know are irrational with action. More often than not, you’ll find you had nothing to worry about in the first place.
But keep this in mind. Sometimes worry is there for a good reason. Be careful which worries you challenge.
Remember, the whole point of mindfulness. You want to be in the moment and pay very close attention to what’s going on both inside and out.
Worry doesn’t bear up under such close scrutiny. If all you do is pay attention you’ll change the game in a big way. .
JohnK 2-13-2023
Overheard: “You probably wouldn’t worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do.” ~ Olin Miller
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