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Are you caught in the worry trap?
continued from page 1
Create a non-worry climate
Your first line of attack against worry should be to arm yourself generally against stress and anxiety - because to have the energy and motivation to cope, you need to be physically and emotionally strong.
1. Eat a healthy balanced diet
2. Get at least seven hours of relaxed, deep, good quality sleep each night
3. Take regular exercise, at least three times a week
4. Spend some time outdoors each day, to ward off SAD
5. Make sure your living and working environments are comfortable and supportive
6. Spend at least 15 minutes each day relaxing or meditating
7. At least twice a week, do something so absorbing that you forget your problems: listen to music, garden, write, paint, knit, walk, dance
8. Cultivate the habit of positivity in what you think, feel and say: think well of others, be kind to yourself, notice what's good and shrug off what's bad
9. Give yourself treats: at least one minor self-indulgence per day, at least one major one per week. 10. Find a higher meaning in life, so that when things get hard you are able to remember that there is a plan and a higher purpose
Learn to troubleshoot
Even once you've established a positive life climate, some areas in your life - work, money, love, friendship - may tip you into the worry trap. You need to develop the mental strategy of troubleshooting potentially worrying life issues.
1. Ask: Is it a problem?
Some things you worry about may not actually be a problem. You may have imagined that your man is losing interest, or that your boss is critical of you. You need to confirm your information, maybe even check out your anxieties with the person concerned.
In particular, if you're worrying about something that may happen in the future, look at how high the probability actually is. Sure, you need to protect yourself against disaster - but when you're in the worry trap, sometimes you set your 'smoke detector' way too high and end up worrying about something that just isn't happening or isn't going to happen.
2. Ask: Is it my problem?
Some problems that you worry about may not actually be yours to solve. Either you can't solve it - there is, after all, nothing you can do about getting old or dying. Or, it's someone else's problem to solve - your friend's love life and your Mum's weight problem need your sympathy and support, but not your constant anxiety.
Create a non-worry climate
Your first line of attack against worry should be to arm yourself generally against stress and anxiety - because to have the energy and motivation to cope, you need to be physically and emotionally strong.
1. Eat a healthy balanced diet
2. Get at least seven hours of relaxed, deep, good quality sleep each night
3. Take regular exercise, at least three times a week
4. Spend some time outdoors each day, to ward off SAD
5. Make sure your living and working environments are comfortable and supportive
6. Spend at least 15 minutes each day relaxing or meditating
7. At least twice a week, do something so absorbing that you forget your problems: listen to music, garden, write, paint, knit, walk, dance
8. Cultivate the habit of positivity in what you think, feel and say: think well of others, be kind to yourself, notice what's good and shrug off what's bad
9. Give yourself treats: at least one minor self-indulgence per day, at least one major one per week. 10. Find a higher meaning in life, so that when things get hard you are able to remember that there is a plan and a higher purpose
Learn to troubleshoot
Even once you've established a positive life climate, some areas in your life - work, money, love, friendship - may tip you into the worry trap. You need to develop the mental strategy of troubleshooting potentially worrying life issues.
1. Ask: Is it a problem?
Some things you worry about may not actually be a problem. You may have imagined that your man is losing interest, or that your boss is critical of you. You need to confirm your information, maybe even check out your anxieties with the person concerned.
In particular, if you're worrying about something that may happen in the future, look at how high the probability actually is. Sure, you need to protect yourself against disaster - but when you're in the worry trap, sometimes you set your 'smoke detector' way too high and end up worrying about something that just isn't happening or isn't going to happen.
2. Ask: Is it my problem?
Some problems that you worry about may not actually be yours to solve. Either you can't solve it - there is, after all, nothing you can do about getting old or dying. Or, it's someone else's problem to solve - your friend's love life and your Mum's weight problem need your sympathy and support, but not your constant anxiety.
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