Worrying is Pointless.

How often does "worry" show up in your life? How many sleepless nights have you had recently with all that "worry" on your mind?

Our old friend worry, the unwelcome guest always ready to overstay her welcome. The nagging voice that questions every decision, the constant companion in times of high stress. But what if we could redefine our relationship with worry, transform it from an intrusive guest to a passing acquaintance?

Let's explore a simple idea to help you stop the worry cycle and reclaim that peace that worry often steals

I meet women all the time in coaching who are stuck in what we call “worry loops”. Where the the mind fixates on a single "what if" negative thought and one worry thought seamlessly merges into another, setting off an unending chain reaction. Once caught in this worry loop, detaching yourself from the relentless worry train can prove to be a challenging feat!

But?in reality, worrying is absolutely pointless! Here's why:

1.???Worrying won’t change the outcome.

If you think about it, have you ever altered the course of an event simply by spending all your energy worry thinking and stressing about it? Probably not. All it does it waste precious mental energy and passes the time while triggering your fears and catastrophe thinking.

2.???It robs you of the present moment.

Life’s most beautiful moments are happening right now. When your mind is hyper focused on worry - spin, spin, spinning - you miss out on “being present”. And the present moment is where you'll find the most joy and contentment!

3.???Worrying zaps your confidence and inner peace.

It’s like carrying a massive problem sack with you everywhere you go. It holds you back from taking steps forward (self-doubt much?), and it can keep you from showing up as your best self.

4.???Worrying is a COMMON trigger for ANXIETY.

One of the first chapter's I wrote for my new book Becoming Fearless: The Complete Guide to Anxiety Relief shared an example of how our own thoughts can affect our internal ANXIETY alarm system. Worry thoughts are a red flag for anxiety.

Worry thinking, "what IF's... (bad endings)" and worst-case scenario's are known to trigger a stress response in the body. The brain perceives a danger sensing the fear in our language (and very active imagination!) and signals the fight-flight-freeze safety response, priming the body to act.

Insert >> stress hormone drop, sleepless nights, mental and physical exhaustion, MORE racing thoughts and all those annoying anxiety symptoms.

That's why, worrying is pointless. If you're prone to anxiety then actively worrying-less is going to be a game changer for your anxiety.

And please know that as quickly as you jumped on that worry train, you can also jump off it. I will say that it takes practice and time and effort, just like getting any new healthy habit to stick. But, it's totally possible.

Now, I'll break down the "how to" for you in my simple 4 step "Worry Release Process" to help you get started:

Step 1?- Become Aware

Become aware of when your mind is drifting to worry or in a "worry loop".?Notice and catch your thoughts when they begin to drift to "worst case" scenario planning?or perpetual "what if this happens?" or "what if that happens".

Step 2?- Take a Breath

Stop and take a conscious deep breath. Thoughts often spin quicker than our inhale-exhale! Practice bringing your mind back to the present moment. Remind yourself that this train of worry is essentially pointless, you cannot control all the “what IF’s” in this scenario and this?thinking is a fast track to anxiety.

Step 3 - Write out the Worry

Write down all the worry thoughts that are circling your mind. Sense check them. How likely are these things to happen? Scale it from 1-10 in likelihood. Share the list with someone if you need a further reality check in of the situation.

Step 4?- Let it go

Let it go, remember that not every detail in this situation has to be decided today.?Do something else, get up and get moving, keep your hands busy and give your mind something else to focus on. Revisit the topic when the worry has subsided.

Repetition is key—make a habit of practicing these steps consistently. It's imperative to keep in mind that the act of worrying saps your valuable energy and steals the joy from the beauty inherent in the present moment! What is the most important thing?

Wishing you all the best to worry-less in 2024!

Janel Briggs

THRIVE MINDSET COACH

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