Our mind and body are interlinked, and Plato already knew that. The well-known physicians called Mayo brothers in the late 1800s have estimated that half of the hospital patients have despair, frustration, chronic worrying, and anxiety. In the present, worry is still something that greatly influences us and unfortunately affects our daily lives terribly. In Dale Carnegie’s book titled ”How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”, he gave few tips on how to stop or prevent excessive worrying, which could help for having an environment free from worry, whether in professional or in your private life.
We have listed some of those tips, which you can freely read below for you to defeat worry.
1. Embrace the worst-case scenario and strategize to offset it.
Whenever you are worried, think of what might be the worst scenario that might happen. Is it losing your job? Getting jailed or being killed?
Well, the worst thing you can think of might not be really the worst since that is not the end of the world. The good thing is you might be able to bounce back! Once you have think of the worst scenario, think of contingency plans to offset it. If it’s losing your job, well, you can find another one. Start writing down your concerns, their possible consequences, and ways and ways to overcome them. Once you have done this, you’ll feel calmer and better.
2. Make your decision and never look back
Making decisions is stressful, especially if you have doubts about whether
what you have chosen is the right decision or not. Have you experienced making a decision which you douted after? Well, we all have, I guess. However, if this takes longer and gives you too much worry, then ditch it. Once you have made a decision, you can only think of the ifs but can never go back. So make an action and stick with what you have chosen. Worry can’t help. If you’re worried that you have made a wrong decision, then you can just decide once again, but this time more thoroughly and carefully. So do not worry anymore about where your decision might lead you.
3. Live for Today, One day at a time.
Have you ever tossed around while worrying about something that might happen or have happened in the middle of the night? Oh well, this is the reason why it is essential to have ”day-tight compartments,” which is a means to limit your worry and attention in the present. There is just a simple rule that should be remembered, and that is: things in the past and in the future can’t intrude in the present, especially today. Everything must stay where it is, whether past or future. However, this is easier to say but hard to do. But you can start with little steps by starting to compartmentalized for you to have a very organized life.
4. Fake it till you make it
We can’t directly influence our feelings, but changing how we act and think can help. Marcus Aurelius once said, ”Our life is what our thoughts make it.” So once you are feeling down, think of the thoughts that could make you happy than negative thoughts that would drown you even more. Try to smile even if it’s hard to have a positive attitude. Then maybe, faking it would make you really happy for real.
5. Dump Envy
Our genes are absolutely unique. Despite having the same parents, there is a very little chance of having another you.
However, most of us forget this fact. Sometimes, we think that it could have been better if we were someone else. Stop the life of envy and be comfortable with yourself to be able to start living from now on.
6. Put a lid on your worry
Often, we endlessly stress about things that cause us great worry where we can just walk away from them to save our mental health. The stop-loss strategy from the stock traders can help in stopping this wherein when things go at a certain point, they sell it off to stop the loss from increasing. In the same way, you can also stop your worry to prevent losing the time you have today due to excessive worrying and start living in the present.
7. Give for the joy of giving
Whenever we give or do kind acts, deep within us, we’re expecting thank-yous from the people we have helped. However, this expectation can lead us to disappointment. So instead of expecting thank yous or other act of gratitude from people, be happy with the fact that you have helped them already.
8. Haters Will Hate – It Just Means You’re Doing It Right
Being criticized means that you are doing something that is influential or noteworthy. The more you are being criticized just shows how important of a person you are. Take criticisms as a compliment! If you receive negative criticisms, be thankful whether it is true or not. If it’s true, then it gives you a chance to improve yourself to be a better version of yourself.
9. Get Organized and Enjoy Your Work
There is no greater source of stress and worry than your work. That is why it is sensible not to choose a job you despise. However, there are times that even though you love your job, you still get stressed from it. To be able to enjoy your work for a long time, good working habits must be developed. A desk full of clutter adds up to unnecessary stress! So clean your desk and be organized for you to be productive and to have a stress-free environment.
10. Learn to Rest Before You Get Tired
Emotions and fatigue are interlinked with one another. Emotions can make you more tired, and fatigue can result in more negative emotions.
To be able to start living, you must also learn to relax and rest when you are tired so that fatigue and worry won’t accumulate. Regular rest can help your overall health. Find things that provide you relaxation, such as napping, reading a good book, or even looking at nature.
It’s essential to know which areas and aspects of your life causes worry the most in order for you to be able to stop the cycle of worry. Once you have recognized these areas, it will be easier to solve it and to start living in the present. A positive attitude could help you to enjoy every single second of your life.