The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

~Buddha
(Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

I am a worrier. I know that often times… ok maybe most times I am worrying about things that really don’t matter to the grand scheme of things. I’ve always been this way, but I work hard at trying to calm those nerves now because I have realized how much energy it takes to be worried all the time.

Everyone worries, but doesn’t it seem like women worry more than men do, or maybe worry about more things? Research has shown that women have lower levels of a brain chemical that influences anxiety. Having less of the chemical, an enzyme called COMT, appears to make a person more anxious and highly strung. This would be expected to make them more anxiety-prone. The NIAAA research found that women scored higher than men in psychological tests which used harm avoidance as a measurement of anxiety.

Regardless of whether or not we actually do worry more than men, it’s still an issue that many of us deal with every day. The average person (men included) spends about 5% of each waking day–about 48 minutes–worrying about one thing or another. The most common sources of worry for Americans are family and relationships, jobs and school, health and finances. Sound familiar? Worry can lead to poor sleep in many cases, with resulting fatigue, restlessness and irritability. But it’s the psychological toll that’s usually most devastating. Worrying all the time can also make it difficult for you to concentrate, cause some nasty headaches and effect your ability to resolve problems… the very thing that could induce more worry!

So, how do we break the habit? I think the first step is just acknowledging that we are worrying too much. Start paying more attention when you catch yourself worrying. What is it your concerned about? Can you resolve it? If you can, then take steps to resolve it and get it off your plate (easier said than done sometimes, I know). If you can’t resolve it, release it. A good friend of mine reminds me that “you can’t control people, places or things”. He’s right, so if you find yourself worrying about what another person is thinking or feeling for example, remind yourself that it’s not your job to worry about the things that you can’t control and let it go!

I would also recommend finding time each day to decompress and release those things that build up in our minds each day. Many times it’s those things we worry about. Write about them, read a book that will calm your nerves, or just listen to some music. Try creating a sacred space for this daily decompression. My previous post on stress also has some good tips on relieving tension; stress and worry are often two sides of the same coin.

Still need some help? Check out this book, “Women Who Worry Too Much” by Holly Hazlett-Stevens. The book addresses the fundamentals of worry: what it is, how it differs from anxiety, and how it can develop into a chronic state of mind. The book also offers strategies for overcoming worry.

Think about what you’re worrying about and ask yourself if it will matter next month, or next year. Chances are it might not even matter tomorrow! I will leave you with one of my grandfather’s favorite saying’s:

Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites