Worrying may have a bad rep, but worrying, if it's done right, can actually be helpful. Effective worrying can anticipate and avoid problems, devise artful solutions, and expand creative possibilities. It leads to constructive action. On the other hand, ineffective worrying is what
keeps us awake at night, distracts us during the day and gives our physical systems a workout
they don't need. When you find yourself in bed at night, tossing and turning, plowing the same field again and again, you're in the midst of worry of the worst kind: self-perpetuating. The more you worry, the more stress chemicals feed back to the brain, telling it to worry more. If you find yourself mired in this worry bog, try some of these actions to put your worries to work for you:
- Get physical. Get up, move around. Action will temporarily relieve the worrying. When you come back to the problem, you may have a better perspective on it.
- Take a walk, work out, go for a bike ride or a run. Exercise increases blood flow, meaning more oxygen to the brain. Exercising regularly means you will probably worry less.
- Write down your worries in a journal. Simply writing your fears and concerns down takes some of the power out of them and gives you a sense of control. Writing your worries also gives you an opportunity to write possible solutions. Try this: write down the worry and, without thought to how workable or realistic the solutions are, write them down as fast as they come to mind. Don't stop to think, just write idea after idea. Given this creative outlet, the same brain that was nagging you with worries, can offer ingenious and often
elegant solutions. - Tell a friend. Ask for feedback, another perspective. Or someone to simply listen. Giving voice to your worries can take some of the wind out of their bedraggled sails.
- Make gratitude lists. Oprah Winfrey isn't the only one to recommend them. A gratitude list doesn't have to be long or well thought out. In your journal or on a sheet of paper, jot down several things you’re grateful for. They don't have to be big deals— the way the sun falls on the roses in the morning is just fine, if that's what you thought of. It certainly is not as simple as the song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy," makes it sound, but somewhere underneath
its whining, nagging voice, worry might have something important to tell you. *
