What a week last week was!

First, I completed the “Transform Your Life” 5-week course. It was to be 4 weeks and I decided to throw in a 5th week as a bonus. The feedback has been so encouraging, I am going to run it again next year.

Second, I presented a seminar to a large company face-to-face over three lunch times on mental health. 

Third, I was booked out with clients for the time I had left.

This brings me to an emotion everyone feels …

Worry.

It is one of the most common negative emotions I encounter when counselling/coaching people.

I often hear people say “I am a real worrier”.

They worry about their children, work, income, health, what others think, how they will perform and how things will turn out.

Worry takes up a lot of time and uses much energy. It can cause you to feel emotionally low, fearful and it can stop you from sleeping. 

A worried mind is a fearful and troubled mind. You can worry about something for hours, days weeks and even years. This has a huge impact on how you feel and your health. A common phrase is “You will worry yourself to death”.

What do you worry about?

Take a moment to list the things you currently worry about. It is important to do this as you can only change what you recognise.

When you worry, you are fearful about an outcome. You worry whether you have made the right decision or how your children will do at school. You worry about having enough money to pay the bills or whether your partner is being faithful to you. 

Your mind keeps thinking about and dwelling on the negative state. It keeps asking “What if …?” questions. “What if we have to sell the house?” “What if I do have something wrong with me?” “What if the kids get bullied?”

The more you dwell on it, the more worked up you become and the worse you feel.

Statistics show 90% of the things you worry about never come to fruition.

Your imagination takes over and dreams up possible outcomes.

Outcomes that will affect you in a negative way.

This drains you of energy and can even keep you awake at night.

Your mind constantly searches for solutions.

And so the movie keeps re-running itself.

Given this, you can see worry is a useless emotion.

When you worry about something, you can either change it or you can’t.

If you can change it, do so.

If you can’t, place it on hold until such time as you can change it.

You’ve got this.

Make great things happen …

PS If you are a worrier and it’s driving you nuts, get in contact with us for ways to deal with this.