Don’t let worry plague your life. When you can take a step back and follow some advice on how to rid your mind of the anxiety that comes when you are plagued by worry, you will be infinitely more successful.
These seven tips, compiled by Business Insider, can help you to clear your mind and refocus your thinking. Don’t let worrying detract from your life today.
1) Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?”
Don’t avoid thinking about what is bothering you. Realistically ask yourself what the worst thing that can happen is so that you can “prepare to accept the worst.” After you do this, you can “figure out how to improve upon the worst, should it come to pass.” Once you have a game plan, you can stop worrying and move forward.
2) Gather all the facts in an objective way
Allow yourself to take a step back and look at the situation objectively. When you remove yourself from the picture, you can assess a situation more realistically and less emotionally so that you can come up with a solution.
3) Generate potential solutions
Once you’ve assessed the situation without letting your emotions interfere, you’ll be able to properly brainstorm solutions. When you come up with solutions, you will be able to measure the importance of concerns and worries. When you have a game plan and you know how you are going to potentially handle a concern, you’re going to be able to give yourself the tools to properly handle your worry.
4) Remember the law of averages
“The law of averages refers to the probability of a specific event occurring.” If the event is very unlikely to actually occur, you need to stop worrying about it. Chances are, a lot of your biggest worries are things that are unlikely to happen.
5) Keep busy
Waiting for that job offer to come back? Take a workout class, go to the movies or get dinner with a friend. Staying busy is a great way to avoid being plagued by worry because it allows your mind to do something else. Don’t focus on what you can’t control.
6) Act happy to feel happy
Smile. Did you just feel a little better? That’s because when we actively engage in making ourselves happier, we begin to find ourselves becoming happier. If you engage in happier activities, you will be less worried.
7) Understand
If you’re worried because you’re being criticized, maybe it is time to take a look at the criticism and see whether or not there is validity behind it. If there is, try to understand how you can take away the criticism next time around. Practice a little more or work a little harder at your craft and you will be able to work out your stress and get rid of the criticism.