Worrying is one of the top behaviors and products of living with anxiety. The amount of time spent on worrying about this or that is disproportionate to the amount of time spent on just about anything else, at least that has been my experience. When my mind is busy worrying there is not much else I am thinking about.
Old Habits Die
For a long time my worry centered on mortality. If I sensed something in my body, my mind would immediatly take me down the diagnostic road to some sort of terminal illness. Just for reasurrance I would go on the internet and search for the affliction I was worried about to find what I was feeling on the list of symptoms. Needless to say this only added fuel to the fire. I now do not go near the Internet when I have a body sensation. This is because I have educated myself on what physical symptoms are a product of anxiety-the list is long. So, now with a little education and a change of habit I have stopped the incessant worry about my own mortality.
What’s The Worry Now?
Now the worry that comes centers on other things, like money, security, and success. When the worry comes the mind goes to the end of the line with the ultimate catastrophe waiting for me. It’s the endless “What if’s?” that come one after the other. This is habitual thinking at its best, and it is powerful. The key for me with this is being present-knowing what I am doing and acknowledging it.
Taking Back Control
Once I start down the path of the “What if’s?” I do come to a point where I realize what I am doing. It’s very powerful to have awareness of what you are thinking. You suddenly find yourself observing the mind doing its thing, much like a hamster in a wheel. This presence of mind, or awareness, gives you space to see what is actually happening and choose an alternative. For me, I choose to bring myself to the present. Instead of “What if’s?” I start thinking “What is present now?”
“Do I have my health?, Do I have money? Do I have success?” and so on. Asking yourself what is so, at this moment is key to helping crack the cycle of worry and catastrophic thinking.
Do you have ways of dealing with incessant worry?
What works for you?
Please share in the comments below.
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