4 Things to Help Your Worrying

Worry is something everyone experiences. We worry about our health, our finances, our job (or lack of one), our spouse, our children, and our grandchildren, just to name a few. Worry creates stress and stress damages our health. Here are four easy things that will help you with your worrying:

1. Write down everything you’re worried about and give them each a ranking. If you have ten things you spend your time worrying about then number them, 1-10 with 1 being the most worrisome thing in your life. Go through your list and eliminate the five things that are lowest on your worry priority list. Just take a pen and scratch them out. Thoughtfully decide if the remaining five things on your worry list are really worth worrying about. If they are not things you have control over, then scratch those off your list too. Even better, burn them in a fireplace.
2. Before you start your day, pull up your list and pray and meditate on it. Prayer is talking to God and meditation is waiting to hear God. There’s nothing formal or complex about it. Practice silence and listening.
3. Get adequate sleep. Aim for 8 hours a night. Sleep deprivation is epidemic, and it will affect your psyche and cause the little issues to seem to seem huge.
4. Talk to a trusted friend or loved one. Choose good listeners who have no agenda other than to listen and help you sort it all out. Seek professional counseling if you need it, or if you don’t have a safe person to share your worries with.

Remember this quote by Mark Twain, “worry is like paying a debt you don’t owe.” Worrying can take years off your life, leaving your emotionally bankrupt.