Ways to Stop Worrying

Set aside ten minutes every morning and evening just to worry intensely. Enjoy!

When niggling worries creep into your head, clap your hands and say, ‘Not now!’ Wait until your next scheduled ‘worry time’, and then fret all you like.

Think of one of your worst fears coming true. Consider how you would feel and the consequences. Now imagine your life a year on and how you ultimately recovered. Nothing is insurmountable.

Think of lovely things to replace worry in your mind. Close your eyes and think about something you’re good at. Say it to yourself for five full minutes.

Keep an empty bag under the bed. When worries pop into your head at night, write them down and put them in the bag, ready for your next allotted ‘worry time’.

Think about the things you must do today and tell yourself that you want to do them, rather than have to (because you really don’t).

Practise emptying your mind. As soon as worries come into your head,
place them into fluffy clouds in your mind. When you breathe out, slowly
blow the clouds away.

When you have an anxiety about the future, ask the question: ‘So what?’ After a succession ofthese questions, you will discover that you do, in fact, have options for coping with anything.

Break up periods of worrying by taking a short ‘mental holiday’. Read a magazine or listen to some happy music. Enjoy that carefree vacation feeling for half an hour.

Indecisive? Write down the predicament, followed by your doubts. Now think of ways to reduce these doubts. Give yourself a deadline and make a decision. Get used to thinking within a time frame.