IMPROVING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
5 Steps to Spend Less Time Worrying and More Time Living
…and why now is more important than later
Author: Anthea Armar
Date Published: 3 March 2022
Topics: Worry, Anxiety, Mental Health, Stress, Fear
Worrying about the future is unavoidable. Sometimes, worrying can help us prepare for what may come. When worry becomes a persistent issue or an uncontrollable habit, it can impair our ability to function and make us less happy overall.
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Worry also hurts our chances of success because it prevents us from living in the present moment and focusing on remaining fully present. That means being completely aware and focused on what is happening around us at any given moment.
The future does not exist yet, so we can easily have anxiety or overwhelm about something we have absolutely no control over.
"It's not possible to live in faith and fear. Choose."
When you focus on your worries, especially those you cannot change immediately, it can lead to anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and possibly suicidal thoughts. These are generally a response to stress and the stress of not knowing is enough to be the trigger for these more serious mental health issues.
Living in the moment means we have little to no concern about the future, nor do we worry about the past. We just stay highly concentrated on the present.
It is a challenging practice to master, but it results in a happier, more rewarding and fulfilling life.
How to stop worrying and start living (in the moment)
Many people know how important it is to live in the moment. They just aren’t sure how to do this when the world seems to be crumbling around them. Here are five ways you can worry less and improve your mental health at the same time.
1. Stop predicting
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Worrying about the future is often based on trying to predict what might happen. We fear a negative outcome, and then we worry about that outcome and how it will impact our lives.
Instead, accept that you cannot predict the future.
Embrace the present moment and focus on enjoying every moment you have right now. Whether it be fresh air, friends, your favourite hobbies, stillness, a book or expressing gratitude for life.
2. Weigh up your worries
Worrying can have significant negative consequences. It can lower our self-esteem and make us feel awful about ourselves. It also makes us less motivated to act. Sometimes, it prevents us from functioning altogether.
Consider how much time you have wasted worrying about the future in the last month. Then, think about the good things you could have done with that time had you not spent it worrying.
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3. Embrace your past
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Many successful people were some of the most worry-ridden and anxious people in their younger days. What makes them successful now?
It may be their ability to turn their past failures into more positive outcomes as they mature over the years. Worry was certainly not the motivation to take action, so at some point, they had to put it to the side and live their lives anyway.
Instead of worrying about the future, focus on building on your past and all the great things you’ve experienced, been challenged with and overcome that has brought you to today. Appreciate the life you are living today, right now.
4. Give yourself a time-out
Be intentional about preventing yourself from worrying about tomorrow. Worrying about the future is often unnecessary.
When you worry about the future, you automatically condemn yourself to fear. Fear can make it difficult to manage your emotions, process information or make decisions, leaving you susceptible to impulsive reactions and uncontrollable emotions.
blissful and positive experience. However, worrying can be tempting if you are in a negative state of mind. Don’t give in to that temptation.
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5. Get with the times
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The environment you are currently in may have benefitted you at one point in your life, but it may be the reason you are having panic attacks, social anxiety, feeling stressed, overwhelmed and worrying so much.
When you don’t have a space to enable you to be free from worry or there are troubling situations happening around you, for example, 25% of your colleagues have been made redundant, your worrying can get worse.
Circumstances change and so does our environment. Every situation we face is unique and based on what factors are present at the time. The best thing you can do is be flexible, mentally adapt to these changing circumstances and adjust accordingly.
Your Worry Free Checklist
The thought of worrying less could be worrying! You know it isn’t something you want to do, but with everything going on around you, it can be difficult not to allow it to consume you. Consider how you can take these five steps to worry less and improve your mental health, which will give you the freedom to start living for today:
- Stop predicting - create a list of all of the things you enjoy doing. Each time you catch yourself thinking, and worrying, about the future, pick one thing from the list to do to keep your present.
- Weigh up your worries - make a list of all of the things you have worried about in the last four weeks. For every thing you’ve listed, consider what else you could have done with that time. That will help you to stay focused on doing those things more often by default.
- Embrace your past - list five things you have done in your past that, at the time, you thought you could never do. This will remind you that worrying can be pointless because whatever happens, you continue to overcome the challenges you are faced with.
- Give yourself a time out - take a time out (1-15 minutes or longer if you can manage it) and try to consciously prevent yourself from overthinking about tomorrow and focus on being fully present today.
- Get with the times - identify things in your environment that have been triggering your worrying. It could be at home, work, within you! For each item listed, decide one action you can take to make changes or adjust.
Conclusion
You cannot control what happens in life or what others do. The only thing you can control is how you respond to both. When you respond with worry, you reduce your quality of life.
If you know that you are worrying about something that has not yet happened, it is time wasted from living a meaningful and stress free life now.
Living in the moment is a great skill that often takes time to master. It can teach us how to be happier - without worrying about the future or the past.
Time is one of the most precious resources ever created. We can make every second count by embracing the present moment, living fully in it, and enjoying what is happening right now.
Which step will you try out today?
Want to go deeper?
If you want to keep exploring this topic, there are three ways that you can get help to deal with your worry today:
1. Join this five-part transformational virtual programme and learn to improve your mental health, finances, physical health, mindset and relationships.
2. Work through this editable worksheet to get the clarity you need on your worrying and create a plan to reduce it daily (no sign up needed).
3. Learn the signs that are impacting your mental health on a daily basis and some simple ways you can make ongoing improvements.
Want to go deeper?
Get your FREE copy of the Overcoming Limiting Beliefs digital workbook so that you can create a success mindset. Create new thoughts that will allow you to boost your self esteem, self confidence by identifying what is preventing you from fulfilling your purpose and enjoying a happy and meaningful life. That, is priceless!
“Anthea presents a lot of sound information for creating the business you want. She emphasizes that our own transformation is what is needed to move forward and that we create what we want-master of our business and our life. We create what we choose. She also challenges participants to get into action-don't keep waiting for amazing to come to you-create it!”
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