Worrying can be useful if it helps you take action and solve your problems. But if you are constantly worried it can interfere with your daily life and cause you discomfort.
According to a study by the University of Surrey (England), worrying can lead to long-term health problems, including cardiovascular diseases. In addition, anxiety can prevent you from sleeping well, worsen the functioning of the immune system or increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder.
How to stop worrying?
1-Assign a daily period of time to worry
Instead of worrying all the time, designate a 30-minute daily period to worry about your problems. Researchers at Penn University found that a four-step program can help stressed people control their concerns.
The steps are: 1) identify the concern, 2) choose a place and time to think about that concern, 3) if you find yourself worrying, start thinking about something else, 4) use your period to worry thinking about solutions.
2- Ask yourself if the problem can be solved
Research shows that worrying helps reduce anxiety. Having the problem in mind distracts you from your emotions and makes you feel as if you have achieved something. But worrying and solving problems are two different things.
Solving problems requires that you evaluate a situation, take concrete steps to solve it and act. Worrying doesn't lead to solutions, no matter how much time you spend thinking about your problems.
You need to know how to distinguish between concerns with solution and without solution.
In concerns with solution you can act. For example, if you worry about your weight, you can go to a gym or hire a nutritionist. In this case, make a list of possible solutions, without trying to find a perfect one. Focus on what you can change instead of what is beyond your control. After you have evaluated your options, make a plan to act.
If the concern you have cannot be resolved, accept it and do not try to eliminate it. A study published in the journal Behavior Research and Therapy found that people who try to suppress their thoughts end up having more and feel more stressed. On the contrary, those who accept those thoughts are less obsessive, have lower levels of depression and are less anxious.
3- Go to bed earlier
Researchers at Binghamton University in New York found that people who go to bed too late and sleep little have more negative thoughts than those who sleep at normal times.
They tend to worry about the future and have higher risks of suffering from anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.
4- Write your worries
Writing all your emotions on paper can help you stop worrying, according to a study published in 2011 in Science. According to researcher Sian Beilock "it may seem illogical but it's as if you empty your head of worries."
5- Reduce internet connection time
A recent study by "Anxiety UK" found that almost half of people feel worried or uncomfortable about not checking Facebook or email. These results suggest that it is necessary to reestablish control over technology, not to be controlled by it.
6- Practice mindfulness
The most effective strategies to stop worrying are based on mindfulness, which requires being aware of the present moment without making judgments. To practice it follow these steps:
-Observe your thoughts and let them go. Do not try to ignore them, fight them or control them. Just observe from the perspective of someone outside, without reacting or judging.
-Let your worries go away. When you do not try to control anxious thoughts they usually pass, as if they were clouds that cross the sky. Only when you start entertaining yourself with your thoughts do they stay there.
-Focus on the present. Pay attention to the way your body feels, the rhythm of breathing, your emotions and the thoughts that cross your mind. If you realize that you are entertaining yourself with a concern, return your attention to the present.
7- Be aware of how other people affect you
Emotions are spread and how you feel depends in part on the people who accompany you. People who spend a lot of time with you have a big impact on your emotional state.
One way to be aware of how others affect you is to write a diary. Every day you have concerns write what led you to that state.
On the other hand, try to spend less time with people who cause you more anxiety. You can also avoid talking about issues that make you worry.
8- Do hiking
Walking through the forest and listening to the sounds of nature can reduce stress. Studies confirm that spending time in nature can reduce psychological stress, depressive symptoms and hostility, as well as improve sleep quality and increase vigor and feelings of freedom.
AUTHOR: lifeder.com, in collaboration with hermandadblanca.org
