| Ever notice how worry, stress and anxiety are so very contagious? It usually starts with a little worry. "If I don't finish this project tonight, I'll have to do it in the morning before I go to work." And then grows into stress. "Maybe I'm not good enough for this job - I can't seem to keep up." And then it manifests into anxiety. "I can't sleep at night knowing I'll lose the house and my family because I don't want anyone knowing how far behind I've gotten and I don't know how to get even let alone ahead..." Like dominoes.See, it's vicious. But it doesn't have to be. Anxiety is often born of a small worry. It's a habit. We're not out plowing the fields or chopping wood now days, so we have much more time to spend in our heads worrying about tomorrow or regretting yesterday. And truth be told - we can't really do anything about either. But we can do much about right now.So the way to stop worry is - to catch yourself doing it. That's it. Notice it happening and let it go. You don't have to figure out where it came from. Or why you have it. Or beat yourself up because you do. You just have to notice it.What this does is stop the worry. Believe me, you'll worry again - that's human nature. But each time you do, just notice it and let it go. It doesn't have to grow into something more anymore.Why does this work? It works because you stop the worry at its root. You stop it from becoming stress. You prevent it from snowballing into anxiety.Sometimes people have a hard time starting this. That's okay. It's a habit and way of living we've cultivated for a long time. So I suggest being gentle with yourself. Just keep doing it.In the beginning you'll catch yourself worrying a lot. No worries. Just keep noticing and letting it go.Soon you'll begin to notice it happens less and less. That's when you know it's working. Because you catch yourself less and less. And I'll be willing to bet you'll be spending a lot more time in the here and now - getting stuff done.For those who need help getting started or making sure that their anxiety isn't something more - then I suggest seeking anxiety counseling. But if you're procrastinating and feeling bad about not making an appointment, at least try noticing it without being critical of yourself. |
