Article contributed by Bonnie Moehle.
“In every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double.
Don’t worry, be happy” – Bobby McFerrin
Worry is a useless emotion – it lowers your energy, creates a lack of clarity and makes you less productive. Worry causes stress and makes you feel tired and uncomfortable. So… don’t worry, be happy.
Start by recognizing the reasons you worry. You believe that somehow worry will help. Maybe it will give you solutions or propel you in the right direction. This is not truth. Worry is stifling. When you worry you are fearful and all of your solutions arise from fear. This makes it very difficult to move forward and it creates mistakes. Fear does not make for the best solutions.
Maybe you worry about other people because you believe it makes you a more compassionate person. Did you know that worry not only makes you sick but it disempowers the people you worry about? It sends the message that they are incapable – that they need to be worried about.
Once you are clear that worry is not serving you in any way, you must catch it while it’s happening. The easiest way to catch it is to pay attention to how your body feels. Worry always causes a stressful feeling in the body. Once you catch the feeling just observe it. Then notice that it is your thinking that is creating it.
If you can, talk yourself through it and change your thinking. Remind yourself that worries are just made-up ideas that don’t even exist. There are always infinite possibilities in every situation. Worry comes from focusing on just one negative possibility when there are so many other possibilities out there. In addition, remind yourself that most of your worries never come to be. True, isn’t it?
Then change your focus. Place your awareness on the beauty around you. Go out into nature. Think of all of the things you are grateful for. Fully experience the moment you’re in with every one of your senses. Become present. The amazing thing is that when you are fully in the present moment, which causes you to stop thinking about your worries, you become clear and incredible solutions and ideas come to you. It’s like losing your train of thought. When you try to remember the thought you can’t, but when you let go it comes right back to you.
Bonnie Moehle is a Life Balancing Coach and Author. Included in her teachings are the how to’s for letting go of stress, fears, worry, depression and anger. Her Life Balancing program is designed to promote joy, peace, health, better relationships and overall well-being. “I teach people to be happy”. For information or an appointment phone: 602-717-6228 or www.lifebalancingcoach.com
