“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow;
It empties today of its strength.
”
Worrying is exhausting.
I think everyone has a little worry (or a lot).
We worry because of possible changes in the future, the uncertainties, changes, or of problems we may have or by thinking of unpleasant things that might happen.
We also worry too much about what other people think of us.
The usual coping mechanism is to either to numb ourselves with drinks, drugs, food or just avoid it by procrastinating, sleeping a whole lot or being overly busy.
Worrying causes stress, anxiety, insomnia and OCD; and be a symptom for other serious mental health issues such as panic disorder and depression.
Don’t worry! Everything’s going to be alright!
That’s so easy to say, but difficult to believe, especially when what you’ve been saying -
what if I can’t handle it!
what if it gets worst
It’s impossible.
It’ll never work out.
I’ll be unhappy
You’ve said it your entire life.
Being positive is not enough any more. Because the lies have become our truth.
Then you know what - these thoughts live in your head. You hide them because you want to be strong. You pretend you’re ok, but really you’re not.
I worry that if I share my worries out, people will think it’s silly. So I keep everything on the inside. I hide it. I’m ashamed and afraid of sharing my worries and my fears.
Does that sound familiar?
Our worst enemy is ourselves - is what we we say to ourselves.
That’s me ….. I’m a classic worrywart until I found Baptiste Yoga. And I found a new way of being, which gave me access to discover what’s possible for me and for others. It didn’t solve my problems. No. Nor did it make the worries go away for good, but I found a way to manage my worries and not allow it to rule my life.
After all, our worries are just streams of words. And they are, in fact LIES that you’ve believe as the truth. They have no power over you – unless you let them.
The More You Hide, The More They Seek You
by Kassey Vilches Medium
Did you ever play hide-and-seek?
As soon as the seeker starts counting, you and others rush to different places to hide.
You tuck yourself in while holding your breath, making sure no one hears you. Tiny droplets of sweat start coming out on your forehead. You cover your mouth to prevent yourself from laughing. You’re confident he’ll never find you.
Seconds pass and the countdown is over. All you can hear are footsteps.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
You can sense he’s coming already. You tuck further in your hiding place. You hardly breathe. You freeze.
Just when you gained the momentary peace, you saw his shadow. Before you know it, he already found you.
Bam! You lost. You’re the next seeker.
Irritating isn’t it?
He found you after your desperate effort of hiding.
That’s how worries are.
They hunt you, and you think you can hide from them. The more you seek your hiding place, the more determined they are to catch you.
When you start worrying about the future, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
When you tell yourself, it’ll be a failure, it’ll be failure.
Yes, so what if you know “from experience”- you wouldn’t like it. That you'll fail. So what?
IT HASN’T HAPPEN YET!
Yet here you are - feeling stressed, unhappy and anxious for something that hasn’t happen yet.
When right now, you could make a conscious choice to be happy.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO SUFFER?
You don’t have control over what’s going to happen in the future nor can you change the past.
Right?
Can you drop what you know of the future and of the past and come from a place of “I DON’T KNOW”?
Because YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ANYWAYS.
Drop what you know because you don’t know anything anyways
I have anxiety issues. I worry a lot.
This post started a while ago because of what I was experiencing personally in my life.
Then someone close to me shared their deepest thoughts. Oh wow! I’m not alone.
I want to help , but without wanting to fix them and making things right because the truth is - I’m not always right. I don’t have the answers to their worries. They are the only ones who could get out of their own way.
All I could do is give them the space to be heard without judgement and to share my story.
And unconsciously, I’m discovering that the tools that helped me This post is inspired all those who are lost and need clarity. only thing I could do then is to write, and keep on writing. And so, here are some practical steps to help lessen your worry load, as they did help with mine:
Practice Deep Breathing
Focus on the Present Moment
Keep a Journal
Take Small Steps (& Be in Action)
Acknowledge your worries
Let your worries out into the light.
Get Physical
Take your worries on an adventure
Cut yourself some slack
Listen to Bob Marley
9 Practical ways To Create a Worry-Free Life
Practice Deep Breathing
Close your eyes , put your right hand on your heart, and another on your belly
Inhale and count up to 10 (in your heart) then exhale 10 counts.
Spend time focusing on the rise and fall of your chest, ribcage and belly as you breathe—which is a very calming practice which will relieve tension and be helpful to ground you to the present moment.
Count slow and easy, and maintain steady rhythmic breathing
If you can't do to 10 - breathe as long as you can, then exhale with the same count.
**Do 5-10 times.
**Do first thing when you wake up.
**Before your sleep.
**Whenever you feel anxious.
Once you've established a long, deep breath, begin repeating a mantra to coincide with each inhalation and exhalation.
My Favourite mantra is
Inhale: I am enough
Exhale: I got it
You can also use your favourite essential oils to enhance your breathing practice. My go-to EO is from Young Living - Lavender, Joy or Grounding. Put on drop on your palm, rub your palms and place over your nose and breathe deeply.
2. Focus on the present moment
When you are feeling overwhelmed with all those voices in your head, say
STOP.
Breathe.
Deeply.
Take one or two minutes to focus to 100% on what is physically going on around you. Take it all in with all your senses. Ground your feet to the earth. Where are you? Who are you with? What do you see? What do you feel? What do you smell? What do you hear? What do you sense on your skin?
3. Keep a journal
What helps to get me out of my head is to write things down.
Sometimes you may be witness to my rants on my post. That’s just me, trying to sort things out with the voices in my head. 🙂
Here are you journaling prompts to help you out:
What are you worried or stressed about? Or what is your biggest struggle/challenge?
If anything is possible, what would/can you do?
What can I be grateful for in the present moment?
4. take small steps (& Be in ACtion)
The answer to How is Be A Yes.
Be honest with yourself - YOU KNOW the answer. The answer is in your heart.
I’d encourage you to ask yourself every morning - “What is the one thing I can do TODAY, to get out of my comfort zone?”
Refocus your energy on the small step you can take to move forward. Take it one day, one moment, one action at a time.
If you have a list, choose the easiest one on your list. Choose easy! Tomorrow is another day to get uncomfortable.
If you don’t have the “How” yet - then practice being in the present moment.
It’ll come.
Be patient. Take a deep breath!
Everything will be alright.
5. Acknowledge your worries
Say hi to it.
I see you.
You are just words.
I’m ok that you make me worry and anxious, sad, numb.
I’m not ashamed of you.
I’m OK that I’m not ok.
But I’m afraid.
What if I’m right?
What if I can’t handle it?
What if?
What if I CAN HANDLE IT!
What if everything is OK.
6. Let your worries out into the light.
Stop hiding. Don’t say you’re ok when you’re not ok.
Ask for your help.
Speak to someone whom you can trust, whom you know won’t judge nor fix your problems. It could be a professional or someone you know.
And you know what - I’m here. Talk to me. I’ll listen.
7. Get Physical
Do yoga.
Take a walk.
Dance.
Run.
Go the gym.
Go to the mall.
If you can’t sleep, do a couple of stretches or yin poses.
If you sleep too much, get out of bed, and and do something easy like stepping out of the house, and aim to walk for 10 mins (5 mins to go and 5 mins back) - and you never know you might walk for longer.
8. Take your worries on an adventure
Worrying to me is like going on a roller coaster ride.
I don’t like it - and I try my best to avoid it. Then comes the day that I had to do it because everyone is doing it, and I don’t want to be a wooze. And I just want to make them happy, plus prove to myself that I can DO IT!
So I do it.
And then when I’m on it, there’s that roller coaster of emotions - fear, anger, numbness . And regret!
I scream that I want out. That I want to die. And a whole of profanities will spew out.
I call for your mum, dad, God for help. I close my eyes. I grip whatever I can hold on to for support.
Then it’s over before I know it!
My legs feel like jelly, and there’s this immense relief and joy that I’ve survived it.
I tell yourself I won’t do it again, then it happens again.
In my 40 years, I’ve only been on a roller coaster 4 times. I try not to put myself in situations or places where I need to do it. I’ll do it if I need to do it, because I’ve no choice.
But what if I put my worries on the roller coaster ride - it’s going to be scary and there’s a 50% chance of my heart leaping out my body or being thrown out the rails?
I need to have faith that I’m strong enough to handle whatever life throws at me.
Because….
I am strong.
I am brave.
I got it.
“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional ”
9. Cut yourself some slack
Don’t do everything in one day.
Take your time.
Wallow if you need to wallow, but recognise your state of being, know that you have a choice to be happy or to be unhappy.
Seek help.
Don’t compare yourself to others. They are not important. You are.
My wise husband said to me "GOD WILL NOT GIVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE.”
So clever him, and so clear and true are those words.
10. Listen to Bob Marley
And when all else fails, listen to Bob Marley “Three Little Birds” on repeat
Don't worry about a thing
'Cause every little thing gonna be alright
My main learning was to focus on the present moment. The moment my mind starts to wander to the unthinkable and I get anxious, I stop myself and I get myself present.
BEING PRESENT is a practice. You can never stop the mind from thinking, as that’s what the mind does, but you can train it to be still - with yoga, meditation and inquiry.
I’m grateful for my Baptiste Yoga practices. I create myself as an Empowered and Connected Leader - THAT IS WHO I AM!
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.
”
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