Worry. We shouldn’t, but we all do. And this past year has given us unimaginable and unprecedented reasons to worry. In fact, the pandemic caused the entire world to worry. And while we’re not out of the woods yet, there are more and more reasons every single day to be more optimistic.
Still, problems at work or at home, uncertainty regarding the economy, concerns over social issues, and fears about the health of our friends and family and neighbors, will, unfortunately, always be with us. But worrying about them—going over and over these things in our minds and letting them percolate in our imaginations—often can make our worries worse than reality.
Besides, it’s not at all healthy—even the very act of worrying is cause for worry.
Every system in your body is affected by worry and the stress it brings on. In addition to raising blood pressure, medical studies show worry can prompt your liver to produce more cholesterol, and this can raise your risk of heart attack and stroke. Stress-related muscle tension can lead to headaches, back pain and other body aches. Worry also can trigger an increase in stomach acid resulting in heartburn and other woes.
Worry and the preoccupation it brings can lead to decreased productivity at work and conflicts at home. Worry can erode our faith and cause debilitating doubt. That leads to more worry, and it becomes a vicious cycle. Someone once said, “Worry is the interest paid on a debt you might not owe.” No one wants that.
Not to worry! There are many ways to cope.
- Talk to someone. It helps to actually name a problem. Sharing your fears or concerns often can shine the light of reason on the problem.
- Take action. Make a plan to address and solve what’s worrying you, and follow through with that plan.
- Utilize technology like a breathing app on your smartphone or smartwatch or the Calm app to guide you to a more peaceful state of mind and body.
- Learn to let go. Recognize the difference between a situation over which you have control and one over which you have no control. If there is nothing you can do, acceptance might be your course of action.
- Do something you like. Take time for an activity you enjoy. Better yet, do something kind for someone else.
- Practice gratitude. There are lots of easy ways to incorporate a sense of gratitude into your daily life. Keep a gratitude journal. Or simply begin each day by writing down one or two things you are grateful for and keep that list in your pocket all day. Take a photo with your phone of something that inspires gratitude. Keep these photos in a separate folder and watch it grow.
- Get moving. Exercise relieves stress, burns calories, decreases depression and clears your mind. Look for something new on a walk; “awe” walks are proven to improve well-being. Make each walk an “awe” walk. Even taking a few moments to do some jumping jacks or leg lifts every few hours throughout the day will improve your mood.
- Another antidote to worry? Laughter. It is excellent medicine.
Consider this Irish story about worry:
There are only two things to worry about: Either you are well, or you are sick. If you are well, then there is nothing to worry about. But if you are sick, there are two things for you to worry about: Either you will get well, or you will die. If you get well, then there is nothing to worry about. If you die, then there are two things to worry about: Either you go up, or you go down. If you go up, then there is nothing to worry about. But if you go down, you will be so busy shaking hands with old friends you won’t have time to worry at all!
It’s only natural to worry; it’s a byproduct of having an imagination. But you shouldn’t let it get the best of you. There are ways to cope, but it’s up to you to follow through with them.
When you do, you can actually make worrying work for you—by causing you to take action and figure out a workable solution to your problem. Finally, use your faith as a tool against worry. If you’re having trouble letting go of worry, give your worry to God to work on. Let go and let God.