Mindful tips for the mind in dealing with worry

Worrying is a common place where we can find our thoughts succumbing to in life. Worries and concerns can create constant thoughts of fear and rumination. When we worry, we find ourselves preoccupied with the future plans or events that have not happened and give space for self doubt to come towards determining whether our capacity can truly handle them. Worrying activates anxiety within the nervous system and creates a fight or flight response in the body. We feel on edge, unsettled and an impending feeling of doom towards what may happen.

Worry like anxiety doesn’t remain in the present, instead it is casted in the future.  We find our minds wondering “What if this happens? Or what if this doesn’t go as I thought?” and we are no longer focused on what’s right in front of us but wrapped up in the potentiality of dread of an event that has not occurred. This can be numbing and stressful for most as we find ourselves replaying the voice of our fear in our head.

An explorative way of viewing worry

Getting clear on worry can help to lessen its turn on us when we find ourselves unconsciously looping into our anticipations.

• Be curious about why your habit or worry can signify -  worrying may also serve us as a protective mechanism when we detect threat or uncertainty ahead of us

• What feelings does worry inform us about? How is our sense of control towards a situation?

• What does my worry tell me about how I feel or what narratives I may have within myself?

At the end of our day, worries are composed of thoughts and what we know to be true is that thoughts are not always facts

"It is remarkable how liberating it feels to be able to see that your thoughts are just thoughts and that they are not ‘you’ or ‘reality.’"  - Jon Kabat-Zin

Ways to cope with worry 

• Stay in the present - using  techniques such as mindful breathing, body scans and progressive relaxation  we can transfer out of racy thoughts to the present moment and practice embodiment within our physical body and out of our worriful minds.

• Get the endorphins flowing - physical exercise and yoga naturally produce feel good hormones post activity that can help to ease anxiety and promote a positive perspective and a way to manage overwhelming emotions.

• Get comfortable with the discomfort - go deep within the sentiments of worry and set a distinction between what is “real” and what are fears.

• Label it or draw it out - by giving a name and form to our emotions we can learn to see them for what they are.

• Focus on the things you can control - staying in the zone of what we can do something about separates us from spending too much energy in an area that we don’t

• Develop a personal mantra to build empowerment and confidence.