Stop worrying, get started
I am dealing with a lot of worry these days! So many of my clients are worried.
I went to a great workshop. The presenter was a local Salt Lake City Psychologist, Lynn D. Johnson. He discussed positive therapy. I have always used the positive therapeutic approach, and we were in agreement that there are really only two things you can worry about:
- Things you CAN control
- Things you CANNOT control
There are a lot of things to worry about! Most of these things you have no control over. Worrying is a complete waste of emotional energy.
Think of it this way. You worry about something and you actually create the feelings and the physiological response in your body. This is wear and tear on your heart, your blood pressure and your mental fatigue. It is as if you actually lived through the imaged event you were worrying about. When it never happens, which is about 90% of the time (I’ll take those odds in Vegas any day of the week!), you have already lived through it. How horrifying is that?
Here’s a little exercise you can try: Set aside 20 minutes every day to worry. Sit in the same place each day and worry your head off. Forecast out as far as your mind will let you, go to the worst case scenario! Notice how you feel both physically and mentally, not to mention emotionally. One of two things will happen, either you will use this as a way to get your worrying over for the day, and feel great the rest of the day, or you will realize how stupid this worrying is and you won’t even be able to do it once!
If you can’t control something there is no point worrying about it, If you can control something there is no point worrying about that either, instead you might as well get started on doing something about it!
— Karen