How To Overcome Worry and Anxiety
Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.
― Charles Dickens
A study was done on things people worry about. 94% of worries were false alarms.
Why should you overcome worry and anxiety?
If not taken under control, worry can lead to advanced negative emotions such as procrastination, resentment, jealousy, anger, and depression.
Our purpose in life is to overcome these emotions for ourselves and others.
When stressful thoughts and negative emotions begin, it shuts down significant parts of your brain.
Specifically, it starts to slow down the neocortex, which is responsible for assessing, making decisions, and solving problems. This can negatively affect our ability to take action and achieve our goals.
Worrying is a form of negative imagination caused primarily by indecision and inaction.
The cure for worry is to take decisive action to improve the situation.
Taking immediate action toward minimizing the worst possible outcome is the key to minimizing or eliminating worry and anxiety.
Here are six steps that will help you overcome
1. Make a list of everything that gives your worry or anxiety
Writing things down will help you get clarity over your worries.
Our minds remain in constant conflict when we have many things to worry about.
Giving it space through writing takes the conflict away from your mind and puts it on paper.
Write as much detail as possible regarding the things you worry about and cause anxiety.
Take deep breaths and be committed to staying calm while you complete this process.
Examples:
I’m worried I will not hit the revenue target to pay the bills.
I’m worried I will not land a job paying $100,000 this year.
I'm worried about my health conditions.
I'm worried about not being able to pay the mortgage.
I'm worried about not finding a partner.
2. Identify the worst possible outcome (WPO) for each worry
Become clear about the worst possible outcomes that could happen and write them down.
The more you shed light on your worries and fears, the less power it has over you. This activity will help calm your mind and give you the clarity needed to take the following steps.
Ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that can happen in this situation?” Be completely honest with yourself while you do this exercise.
Example:
Not being able to pay my bills
Not being able to pay my mortgage and losing the house
Not being able to take care of the family, being abandoned, and being lonely
3. Resolve to accept the worst possible outcome
Decide to accept the worst possible outcome if it occurs.
Accept and love yourself regardless of the worst possible outcome that can occur. This is very important.
When you have decided to live with the worst possible outcome, it clears your mind to take action to improve your situation.
Examples:
I completely accept and love myself no matter even if I can’t pay my bills
I completely accept and love myself even if I lose the house because I cannot afford mortgage payments
I completely accept and love myself even though my family and friends abandon me.
4. Write down the best possible outcome you want out of the situation
Even though your mind can hold many thoughts, it can focus on only one thought each moment.
Be clear about exactly how your optimal situation would look like.
Visualize what you genuinely want in the future and write it down. This helps the mind figure out what direction to put your attention.
Example:
It would be fantastic if I could attain a job in Project Management that pays $120,000, which I love.
It would be fantastic if I could buy a 4-bedroom 2-bathroom house.
It would be amazing to have friends and family who love me.
5. Make a list of all the activities you can take to improve upon the worst outcome
Write down all the activities you can take to improve the worst outcomes you may face.
Come up with 10-20 ideas. Identify every action you could take to minimize the damage or reduce losses. This gets the creative aspect of your mind to be active and operational.
When you look for solutions and take action, your mind does not have time to worry.
Once you are happy with the list, give yourself daily, weekly and monthly actions to complete.
6. Take immediate and persistent action
Once you have identified a list of actions, take immediate and persistent action to improve upon the worst possible outcome.
Choose one activity you can perform and start taking immediate action to implement the solution.
Remember to stay calm through the process and be committed to the actions you came up with.
Focus all your time and attention on minimizing the effects of the worst possible outcome through persistent action.
Be willing to add new activities if it serves the ideal outcome better.
Taking immediate, decisive action toward minimizing the worst possible outcome is the key to eliminating worry and anxiety.
Checklist
Make a list of everything that gives your worry or anxiety
Identify the worst possible outcome for each of your worries
Resolve to accept the worst possible outcome
Write down the best possible outcome you want out of the situation
Make a list of all the activities you can take to improve upon the worst outcome
Take immediate and continuous action
