How to Stop Ourselves from Worrying

People who are worriers should know that worrying is not good for their brains. Some people think that worrying is a bad habit that we can unlearn. There are people who think that worrying has an aim to help us learn from our mistakes and experience and get ready for new ones.

No matter if it is good or bad, when we worry, our brain concentrates on a future that we cannot control. While depression focuses on things that happened in the past and you wish to be able to change them, worrying focuses on the future that cannot be controlled.

Although it seems like you do not have control over your future, in fact, you can. You can do something to get ready for your future and the things that cause you to worry. Here, in this article, we will talk about ways that can help you learn how to stop your brain from worrying.

1. Write Down Whatever Makes You Feel Worried

This method is believed to be the most effective of all when it comes to training your brain to stop worrying. When you cannot sleep at night because there are a lot of things going on in your head, you should write them on paper or on your pc/smartphone.

When you write your worries down, your brain gets relief because it does not need to waste energy in order to remember everything. If it happens to you to worry about what kind of dinner to have for your guests, you should write “What should I serve for dinner?”

By writing things down you let your brain know that the problem is important, so your brain is focused on finding a solution instead of worrying. According to researchers, people who worry constantly, tend to avoid problems as well.

In the journal named Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, scientists asked worriers to write about their possible results for the thing they were worried about. Then, the worriers observed their responses and tried to find solutions.

The scientists reported that the studies revealed an opposite bond between worry and concreteness. In fact, the more worry about a certain problem there was, the less concrete the content was.

The outcome of this research showed that their worry may lead to better problem analyses. But, they see worry as a way to avoid problems.

2. Meditation as a Way to Free Your Brain from Worries

Did you know that meditation can help you out? (1) Some researchers conducted a study in which they examined the effects of meditation. Their findings say that meditation is great for lowering anxiety and worrying.

Even though there are people who say they are too busy to meditate; meditation requires closing your eyes for just about half a minute (longer if you can). Also, learning to ignore the stress sources can be helpful as well.

If you find a few minutes to consciously ignore any stress source in your life will help you focus on the things that truly matter. You should know that it is normal if you experience worrisome thoughts while you meditate.

People who are experts at training their brain to stop worrying say that it is a good technique to observe the thoughts while they come into your head, and let them pass.

3. Physical Exercising is Excellent for Training Your Brain

Besides the negative effect, worrying is the reason why you are alive. It activates the “fight or flight” system. For instance, if you are walking in a forest, and you see a wolf, you will immediately feel a rush of adrenaline.

This feeling you get is the same that happens when you worry, but it lasts longer, and it is on a lower level. Studies say that exercising is great for your body when you feel some of the anxiety symptoms such as jitteriness. (2)

When you exercise, your body feels less of these feelings, so your brain thinks that there is less to worry about. Also, exercise contributes to faster heartbeat and breathing which are on the lower level while we are worrying.

One more physical symptom of stress is low blood pressure, and exercise can help. So, when you feel that you are worrying, go outside and take a walk for about five or ten minutes.

Concentrate on nature, the sounds, the movement of your limbs, as well as your breathing. We hope this article was helpful. Even if it sounds impossible to manage your anxiety, know that is not the case.

All you need is willingness, patience, and practice in order to feel better.

Source: Power of Positivity