Guiding Your Worry Wert Mind to a Calculated Calm

Growing up being one of three women in our house in the country, faith was number one in our household, followed closely by worry. The phrase "you're such a worry wert" has still followed me around to this day.

Worry is something held onto by millions of women. I have come to believe it is our safe holds again the unknown. When you're lacking in faith, you worry, and when you have faith, you still worry! Why has such an emotion become the beginning and end in life?

As women, we tend to hold onto every little fragment, even the tiny details that matter little. What if the check bounces, I wonder what people think about my hair, I hope that smell isn't what I think it is, I can't believe I forgot...all these things swirl around our heads day in and day out. How can you let go of the little stuff and really live and let live?

I have found through my years of becoming a master worrier that two things truly help take away worry-at least for a little while. The first thing I do to relieve my worrying is to breathe deeply and enter my mind into a zen-like bubble. There is nothing wrong with stepping back from life's situations and breathing deeply in and out several times. During this time I can guarantee that no matter what the situation, your body will have a chance to clear itself from dangerous toxins that pollute our minds. I have tested this technique while on the elliptical machine at my gym. During this time I usually become my own worst enemy and think of crazy scenarios of how things will go wrong in my day-to-day adventures. So, I have learned to check my heart rate, take several deep breaths, and when I check it again the rate slows down several beats a minute. Breathing is an amazing technique to achieve calm.

Whether or not you are faith minded, prayer can also be a major stress reliever. Belief, even in the smallest amount, in a greater power can diminish worry. When you pray to a higher being other than yourself, and release the issues that are causing your stress, you can better assess your situation because it is no longer in your hands alone. I find that when I pray I feel as if I have a partner walking beside me and guiding me to calmer waters. The greater faith you have in your prayers, the more effective this feeling will be.

Exercise is another great tool that not only tones and builds our bodies, but also tones and builds our minds. I notice the more I exercise, I become happier and more content. Endorphins and metabolism that build up during your workout, whether 10 minutes or 2 hours give your mind a greater chance of fighting against the worry that can control your life.

You can decide what techniques work best for you to control your anxiety and worry; however, reassessing the realistic version of events playing your mind is always a key ingredient to calming success. The many hats we wear during the day bring different anxieties into our life, but when you are equipped with different tools to combat these anxieties, you can approach each situation with a levelheaded mind.

If you're a worry wert like me, heed this advice: the world is not going to end over spilt milk. Step back and enjoy life. Live fully, deeply, and the more you let go of control, you will find you have the most control of wherever life leads you.