Today’s blog is about worry. Why do we worry about things that are not in our control? For some reason we can’t seem to let it go because there has to be an answer. There has to be a solution. We are like a dog with a bone chewing it down to nothing only to have a stomachache because we didn’t stop when we were full.

Worry is described as: to give way to anxiety or unease; allowing one’s mind to dwell on difficult troubles. When we dwell on something we think, speak or write about a particular subject, especially one that is a source of unhappiness, anxiety or depression. If something makes you feel unhappy or frightened, why waste our time and energy on it? Why do we constantly do this?

Easier said than done. It takes practice to change our thought process. Here are some things you can do to slow down worry and address it.

Practice mindfulness and meditation with deep breathing. Slowing down the breath, slowing down the mind. Thinking, meditating and praying about the situation.

Practice self-love and compassion. We tend to take the blame for every situation that comes along. We critique ourselves to a fault. Sometimes the issue is not with us but with someone else. Instead of blaming yourself and making the worry larger; stop, breath, pray and send yourself love, compassion. See the positive in things.

Do a body scan. Find the stressed areas of the body and breath light into those areas. It is simply closing your eyes, and searching for tightness in the body. Once you find that space send light to that area and release the tightness.

Talk about your fears with a friend or family member. When you say things out loud, you hear what you are saying, sometimes it doesn’t sound as bad out loud as it did in your head. It also allows you to bounce the worry off of someone else and you no longer feel alone in the situation.

Be of service and practice gratitude. Helping others can ease your worry. Being grateful for the things around you. No matter what the situation that surrounds you, there is always something to be grateful for.

Keep a journal to write down your thoughts and worries. Once you write them down, they are no longer stuck in your mind. You may choose at some point to burn the journal so that these thoughts are no longer attached to you.

Rest. A consistent sleep schedule will help keep the mind clear. If you suffer with insomnia, practice meditation before bed. Write your thoughts and worries down.

Exercise more. Movement helps release tension and worry.

Focus on prioritizing things to inspire you to find a state of calm.

Train your brain to find the positives. There is always blessing to be found. You just have to look.

Seek counseling. If none of the above works, there are trained professionals who can help guide you through and aid you in finding a solution to the things you worry about.

Do you realize that 59% of people worry about something every day? This tells me that you are not alone. This also tells me that in the world we live in stress is a top concern for our wellbeing. Doing an inward search with yourself and finding out what is causing the anxiety is the first step. Asking things like, why does this bother me, has this bothered me before, when was the first time this bothered me, is there a source of this anxiety, is this in my control to find a solution?

Doing an inward journey can help you to find the root cause and be a first step to help you manage your stress. You may need to cut things out of your daily life that cause discomfort. Check in with your emotional well-being. Be self-aware. Know that life changes, are you evolving or fighting it? This can be a sink or swim situation. Do you have too much on your to do list? If you want to release it and let it go you have to identify why is even exists in your mind, body and spirit.

Worry is an automatic thought but with practice you can slow it down, think it through and let it go. Too much worry affects your body in several ways. Are you a chronic worrier? Here are some signs: Racing heartbeat, shaky, stomach issues, sweating more than usual, restless, tense even paranoid. This is a big proponent of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure. Is this the way you want your daily life to be, or do you want a solution? You have a choice. A choice to worry or a choice to practice how not to worry.

Solutions can be backing away from the news and electronics, people, jobs, events. Making a decision in your mind, is this in my control or out of my control. If it is in your control; do something about it as soon as possible. Procrastination is food for worry. If it is out of my control, then give it to God.

The choice is you is yours. Although it may not be easy. You can do it.

“If it is out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind.” Your mind deserves freedom. You deserve freedom. Release it and let it go. You are a work in progress. Don’t give up on yourself. You deserve joy and peace. Make a promise to yourself to find inner peace.

Blessing for a worry free day,

Stacey