Overcoming Anxiety and Worry

Needles worry is often harmful, adding health risk and unwanted stress to our lives. The trick is learning one from the other and knowing how to deal with both. The first step is to recognize that worries come from things both real and imaginary. Imagination can cover our internal imagination with every manner of fearful possibility, most of which does not exist outside of our rich imaginations. Therefore, they can trigger the same damaging physical and chemical changes as a real emergency. Your body starts pumping out adrenaline that causes a variety of physiological reaction when you faced with worry. To fight worry, start by identifying how real the source of your worry is. To help differentiate between the products of your imagination and those things deserving of worry, talk to someone about your fears or concerns. It is to your benefit to know if the source of your worry is something you can control or something that you have no control.

If the cause of your worry is something you can control and have an effect, then channel that worry into action. You must make a plan for dealing with the cause of your worry and make sure to carry it through. This reaction is a positive use of worry and can help you to overcome problems and threats. It's important to act to counter that worry, rather than letting it build up inside of you, even if there is nothing you can do about the source of your worry. You have to learn to let go. When something beyond your control might happen, it either will or won't. Worrying will only produce harmful and not positive results. One good strategy is to simply switch gears. Start thinking of something which you do have control. Turn to an enjoyable activity and focus on that rather than the source of your worry. Try exercise, it's a great way to relieve stress, burn calories, decrease depression and refocus your attention. Your main goal is to stop the worry before it has the opportunity to take control of your emotions and thoughts. It is crucial to work quickly and strike when you first become aware of the negative thoughts that fuel worry.

No matter how small, do something, to help you refocus exercise, splash cold water on your face, snap a rubber band, call a friend or even imagine a flashing stop sign in your mind's eye. Some people find it helps to listen to a relaxation CD or to go on a mini-vacation in your mind a place that makes you feel good. Whatever you choose make sure it channel your thoughts in a more positive direction. Granted, it does take practice to refocus your thoughts away from worry. After awhile it becomes second nature to relax, exercise or change thoughts, rather than resorting to unproductive worry. When you find that chronic worry, especially over things you cannot control, is negatively affecting your life, you may find that talking to a professional counselor can be very helpful.