MENTPSYCH Meet Your Self
Many of us battle worry every single day, especially in these uncertain times, and it is an emotionally painful experience. We frequently find ourselves in a never-ending cycle of stressing over the past and worrying about the future, forgetting to fully appreciate the present.
“Worry doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.”
Why, therefore, do we worry so much?
Worrying, according to psychologist Kailey Horan, “gives us a strong illusion of something called control.” We mistakenly believe that by worrying about a crisis, we would be better equipped to handle it. In actuality, though, worrying does you no good. You cannot get past your problems with it. It doesn’t delete the past. It merely disrupts your thoughts and shatters your tranquility.
Perhaps you are already aware of this. What you may not realize is that you can teach yourself how to stop worrying or, at the very least, control it.
What you need to do, as suggested by the expert, is as follows:
1. Define the scenario or trigger
You should examine the cause of your worries as your first step. What gave you such a fearful feeling? Was it a “What if…?” idea? What if I find the pressure too much? What if something negative occurs? What if I fail?
2. Determine the degree of your worry
So, you are already aware of what makes you anxious. Try to now quantify its intensity. Use a scale ranging from 1 to 100 to do that. For instance, you might feel 70/100 or even 100/100 emotional strain. How would you grade it?
3. Write down problematic ideas and mental pictures that are connected to your anxiety
When we worry, we imagine a variety of scenarios—often the worst ones—that cause us to absolutely fear the situation we are concerned about. So, consider the cause of your concerns that you identified before and write out what you anticipate happening.
4. Examine the supporting evidence for the thing(s) you worry about
Now look for genuine proof to support your fears. Think for a moment about how grounded your concerns are. How likely is it that the scenario you noted in the previous step will actually occur?
5. Examine the evidence against the thing(s) you worry about
Answer this question for yourself: What evidence do you have that disproves your worry? Examine your thoughts and recollections to see if this dread of yours has ever arisen before. How many times have you dealt with a similar situation that you overcame before? How likely is it that you’ll do it again? Use the same scale from the second step to rate this as well.
6. Try to think more realistically, with balance
Think of a close friend who experiences what you are going through, rather than it being you. How would you respond to them? What course of action would you suggest for them to take? What would promote balanced thinking is to treat oneself with the same degree of kindness as you would treat a loved one.
Dr. Horan advises you to ask yourself: “How significant is this issue within the context of my life?” By answering this question, you will obtain the clarity you need to clear your mind of the needless terrifying scenarios that take up all of your mental space and leave no room for anything else.
7. Reevaluate the intensity of your worry
So now we’re here. This is the last action you must perform in order to control your fears and regain your emotional stability. On a scale of 1 to 100, how worried are you right now?
Of yourse, this technique may not work for everybody. Don’t be too hard on yourself if following these instructions didn’t help you reduce your anxiety. It would just make your concerns worse. Contact a trusted friend instead, and the two of you may work through it together. It might be more helpful than you think to consider the issue from the viewpoint of another person.
Did this help you at all? Write down in comment section what you think about it, and also if you have any advice, write it down. We would all appreciate it. Thank you for reading.
Source: iheartintelligence.com
