Don’t Worry Be Happy

According to a recent article by Anne Kingston, published in MacLeans magazine, we are amidst a ‘worry’ epidemic that is raising stress levels and contributing to the increase of stress related disorders. 

What’s the difference between worry and caution?

Worry is defined as giving way to anxiety over difficulty, allowing oneself to ‘dwell’ on troubles.

Caution is defined as the care that is taken to avoid danger or mistakes.

The difference between worrying and caution seems to balance on taking action. 

Author Kathyrn Tristan states in her new book, Why Worry, worry is a choice. Worry eats away at our sense of security, our feelings of well-being and it diminishes happiness while expanding stress.

“In every life we have some trouble but when you worry…you make it double”

What are some actions I can take to combat the worry outbreak?

4 Ways to Stop Worrying

1. Unhitch

Immediate accessibility to information via the internet, twitter and MSN may win you bar trivia challenges at your local pub but accessibility to information also hitches your emotional wago n to a team of worry thoroughbreds. Bringing to your attention EVERY thing YOU should be worried about at lightening speed. Unhitch.

2. Boundaries

If unplugging makes you feel like a heart attack is imminent, try limiting the amount of unsolicited information finding its way to you. This includes engaging in conversations that start with, “Well you know what happened to my uncles best friends neighbor when he...” You know statements starting like this can only led to more things to worry about. 

3. Stop 

Obsessing over worries can create feelings of helplessness. When you feel yourself focusing on these thoughts and becoming overwhelmed, distract yourself. Refocus your attention on other tasks or actions that empower you. Give yourself worry time limits. Stop the spiraling of imagined outcomes.  

4. Action Plans

Be your own disaster master! Creating plans to avoid imagined outcomes can empower you to see your worries as conquerable challenges. For example: everyone is talking about the risks of high blood pressure. Do you even know if you suffer from high blood pressure? Consult a physician or healthcare professional and get an assessment before you start worrying. 

Life is full of worries, that is a fact but you are ultimately in control of how your worries manifest the actions you take in your life.

For those of you worrying that I have written this blog citing a song written by a guy who killed himself, don’t worry. Bobby McFerrin is alive and well.