Published : 5 years ago, on 01/07/2019

The title of this article also happens to be a famous self-help book written by Dale Carnegie. His inspiration to write the book stems from the fact that constant worry made him sick that resulted in him hating his life.

Worry, in a Perspective

Worry is the anxious feeling combined with negative thought patterns about a situation in life, including personal and professional spheres.

It is often repetitive in nature and, results from an urge to avoid or solve anticipated and actual threats and, the underlying consequences. These threats could be from, but not limited to, an individual, a job situation, economic conditions and, even natural calamities.

Human emotions stimulate our lives and enable several social and interpersonal interactions, some uplifting and, others not so uplifting. Apparently, it’s the diverse range of emotions that separate humans from other living organisms and, makes room for everything under the sun communicable.

Remember, our emotions can be contagious and, they can inspire us to our betterment and, the betterment of the world or obstruct the progress, both individually and as a society.

While it’s impossible to control every situation in your life, taking calculated measures with intuition can reduce the effect of threats or, even avoid some. Time spent worrying can be utilized productively, not to simply remove the worry but, to come up with effective techniques to combat the dissipating emotion and induce peace, prosperity and productivity.

Though all our emotions and thoughts are internal, they can be influenced by external factors. We interact with the world through our external experiences and, also through the actions of others.

Ill-Effects of Worrying

Worrying can have detrimental effects on our lives, both physically and psychological. It can impair our ability to perform daily tasks and shows up in unpleasant ways if left unaddressed. Knowingly or unknowingly, worry affects your body and mind in ways that surprise you.

Physical Effects

Did you know? Excessive worrying can easily lead to poor appetite, including, headache and other joint pains, fatigue and sleep disorders. It can also lead to excessive weight loss. You may also resort to overeating and consume excess alcohol that only aggravates the situation.

It can make you physically ill, including:

• Dizziness
• Problems concentrating
• Muscle pain and stiffness
• Dry mouth with difficulty in swallowing food
• Rapid heartbeat and heart ailments
• Irritability
• Chest burning and nausea
• Shortness of breath or rapid breathing
• Excessive sweating
• Trembling

There are other chronic health issues caused by constant worrying, including:

• Digestive disorders and IBS
• Short-term memory loss
• Weakened immune system
• Heart attack and/or coronary artery disease
• Several reproductive health issues

Excessive worrying and uncontrolled anxiety, if left untreated, leads to depression and thoughts of suicide.

Steps to Stop Worry in its Track

Write down all your worries

Sit in a relaxed and quiet place and, make a list of all those things you are worried about. Then, analyse each worry individually and decide to work on those that actually make sense. There are some worries you can’t do much about. Losing sleep over the uncertainty of your health or your future is something uncalled for.

Welcome uncertainty into your life

Face it. Life is uncertain. Your health condition is uncertain. The future is also uncertain. In fact, uncertainty is what life is made of. Begin to accept it and, incorporate all that you can do to make your life more meaningful. Get your focus on things you can enjoy or have control over.

Get out of the box

Learn to step out of your comfort zone. You need not do it all at once. But you can take small measures on a daily basis to venture out into the unknown and start learning new things. In short, do something that you are uncomfortable with. It makes you concentrate on the new task and not on the worry.

Slow down

Have you noticed that worried people are always in some urgency or the other? They are always anxious and expect solutions to their problems right away. This is where you need to slow down. Take it easy and analyse the problem from all perspectives. Just take it slowly and observe. Focus your energies to improve the moment and your mood rather than breaking your head, expecting an answer.

Get over your worries

The best part of getting rid of your worries is to live them, feel them and then, take measures to diminish them. Never push things under the carpet. Instead, face your worries head on and, surprisingly, you will begin to notice that most of them are not so serious.

Talk about your worries

Talk therapy is one of the best actions you can take to reduce or get rid of worries. When you talk about your worries to someone superior or trustworthy, you get to the root cause of the worry. This technique can work wonders and, the worry almost goes away since you can now address its roots.

Lift your mood

This is easier said than done but, if you can take corrective measures, you realise that you have the potential to improve your mood. Negative feelings can wreak havoc on your mind and body and, it’s there within you to reverse this situation any time. You just need to calm down and go inside yourself to find it.

Exercise regularly

Exercising is absolutely beneficial to enhance your mood since the chemicals released enhance your immune system. You can choose strengthening exercises or aerobics that train your body and mind to tackle stress with a sense of control.

Follow a healthy diet

Avoid fast food, junk food and other foods prepared with refined products. These foods can have negative influences on your body and, thereby, increases worry. Incorporate and stick to a healthy and balanced diet. These foods have several health benefits that also improve the condition of the mind.

Incorporate relaxation techniques

The benefits of practising mindfulness go back to the ancient days. Relaxation techniques have the potential to reduce stress and worries to a great extent. With daily relaxation practices, you can start feeling the positive effects through your body and mind. These techniques increase the blood flow to the brain and induce freshness and confidence. You can try deep breathing techniques, listen to serene music with your eyes closed, meditation or switch to Yoga.

Build a strong social network

Humans are social animals and, we need the company of others to experience a sense of worth. Loneliness and social isolation only worsen the situation and make stress uncontrollable. With a positive social group, you will easily kick worry out of your life and keep most health ailments at bay.

Seek professional counselling

Psychological counselling is just what you need to develop effective stress-coping strategies. Most of these techniques are unheard of in the common external world. Your therapist can help you identify the exact causes of specific worries and, work with you to delete them successfully. However, know that the captain is only as good as his team is. This means your therapy can be successful only if you cooperate. Your therapist will give you insights and coping techniques. But, you and only you have to make the changes in your life.

Incorporate rest into your life

Getting a substantial amount of rest is vital to our daily performance. If you constantly keep working and worrying without a break, you will burn out. Whenever possible, break away from your busy schedule and enjoy a short rest.

Relax while working also

Your work is important. It is what is giving you your daily bread and a sense of security. But, becoming a workaholic can have adverse effects on your body and mind. This causes fatigue and increases your worries. Work in a comfortable position and, take short, regular breaks. You can just close your eyes an relax or go on a short stroll.

Don’t think excessively about others

What others think of you is something you should not worry about. Get this into your mind right away and, you start seeing the results. People don’t have the time to think about you all the time. They think about themselves. If you are constantly thinking about what others are thinking about you, you are wasting your precious time and energy.

Of course, conducting yourself in an approachable manner while among people is critical for our success. However, the problem arises when constant worrying about other people takes over.

The Conclusion

Worry is good only if it has a purpose to serve us and make our current situation better. It can be a motivating factor only if it’s constructive and leads us towards our goals. It is the solvable worries we need to address and take measures to burn out unsolvable, trivial matters.

Incorporating life-changing techniques give you the vigour and vitality to excel while worries take a backseat permanently or go through the exit door.