What to do when worry takes over?

Worry is a normal part of the human experience.  While it doesn’t feel good, it’s meant to keep us on track with things that matter to us and help us find solutions to things we deem important.   However, unresolved worry can create stress and keep us from being present in our lives. When worry takes over, you may be unable to think about or focus on other things that hold importance, responsibilities you need to complete or be flat out exhausted as excessive worry can deplete the mind and body of energy.

Though it can take effort to practice, there are many ways to manage the brain’s focus on worry and redirect its attention.  Mindfulness is one of the best methods to use when the brain is saturated with anxiety, as its goal is to focus on the present moment vs. rumination about the past or the future.  The basic premise of mindfulness is allowing the moment to show up just as it is without clinging to its contents or pushing them away.  You can even try this now as you are reading this paragraph—take a moment to zoom into your experience.  What sensations do you notice?  What thoughts are present?  What noises can you become aware of?  Take a deep breath in, follow the breath through the inhale and back out through the exhale.  That’s all mindfulness is—allowing yourself to live in the moment you are already in.  Calm and Headspace are great apps to assist with these practices, as well as http://www.mindfulexercises.com/. 

Another way to tackle worry is via writing it down or expressing it via externalization.  Externalization can help to give the sense of bringing thoughts and emotions outside the self, whether through art, music, journaling, freewriting, etc.  Writing things down or channeling the emotion through physical means helps to see the problem(s) more clearly and gives a sense of separation from them and slows the brain down, forcing it to process the information differently.  Speaking worries out loud can also have a similar effect, depending on the person.

Trying to recognize what is within your control vs. outside of your control can also help piece apart things you can apply your power to.  Is your worry helping you gain power over a situation or leaving you feeling powerless?  For example, if you are worried about an upcoming interview, what can you do to prepare and reduce those worries?   You can exert power over what you choose to wear, say, the attitude you bring into the interview, etc.  You can’t control the outcome, but continue to remind your brain to refocus on the things within your control.

If worry becomes too overbearing, therapy can be a great place to get extra support if you feel a lack of social support in your life (or even if you don’t).  Therapy can be a place to find techniques specifically helpful to you and your situation and can help to identify the underlying root causes of your worries. 

And support yourself through the worry like you would someone you love!