We all worry at some point in our life. We worry about repaying a loan, worry about illness, our child’s future and much more. Worrying is a normal process. We worry about future events that we are not certain about. Such as, “What if I am not selected for this interview?”, “What if I reach late for the presentation?”. “What if I am fired?”

1. The vicious cycle of worry:

For some, worrying helps them to take control over life (or at least they think) and helps them in problem-solving. Does it really help? Actually NO! While short-term worrying may help us to come out with unique ideas and solutions, in the long term it never helps. To find solutions to a problem, we worry, try to gain control, we fail and this makes us brood more. We are pushed into a vicious cycle. Instead of taking us out of the problem, worrying leaves us more anxious and apprehensive. We feel exhausted, physically and mentally.

1. Worrying affects our mental health:

Excessive worrying can affect our overall well-being. It can lead to anxiety and chronic stress. We may feel safe and comfortable while brooding, but over aperiod, it leads to nowhere. We get fixated on the details, and we observe that we are not moving forward towards problem-solving and thus leading us to rumination. Rumination is excessive or repetitive worrying. Worrying/anguish also affects our capability to judge and take decisions.

If we observe, we can notice that it is not the loss or illness or injury that makes us worry, but we are concerned about our inability to cope with the distress feelings, anger and sadness that the negative event brings. We all know worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles but takes away today’s peace, but still, we tend to catch up in worrying. Then, why do we worry?  If you can avert the loss by worrying, then concern/worry is beneficial. But “worrying” is actually not helping you. It's time to stop the worrying mind. Here is how!!.

1. Focusing on things under control:

A change in your attitude and behaviour will help reduce anxiety/worry. You become anxious when you try to control the outcome of the event or the environment. You need to understand that there are things which are in your control and there are things not in your control. Such as the environment, government, economy etc. Identifying what is in your control and what is not, will help to strike a healthy balance of control. For the things which are not in your control, accept them. You can choose your attitude and behaviour by focusing on changing your emotional state. For example, when I fear a job loss, instead of sulking and feeling depressed, I can focus more on hope and optimism. I can make myself resilient and bounce back to search for a new job /a new business or a start-up.

1. Setting up a “worry time”:

Another way to stop the worrying mind is to allot “worry time” and a place to worry in a day. Allot a maximum of 15 minutes duration, as a "worry time". You can also jot it down on paper. Whenever you observe yourself worrying out of this allotted time, you can remind yourself that there is a scheduled time to worry and therefore can focus on the present moment. You will see a considerable decrease in your worries. You see yourself calmer and in control of your emotions.  Worrying is just a habit, a learned behaviour. You can unlearn and relearn to let go of worry and be happy. If you are an organization looking to implement EAP support, write to us at connect@cecureus.com. Visit our portal to book an appointment if you are concerned about yourself or a loved one. For more blogs, vlogs, workshop announcements, and event updates, visit our official website, www.cecureus.com.