Are you worried most of the time? Do you think you can’t let go of your worries? Eliminate any state of worry thanks to these psychological techniques.
Our life would become much easier if there was a button in our heads that allowed us to stop thinking and live carefree The reality is that our mind does not work like that, on the contrary, when we try to evade our worry it seems that it reappears with more force. In this way, the secret to knowing how to ensure that things do not affect you lies precisely in controlling our level of worry.
The concerns They are chains of thoughts and images loaded with negative sensations and relatively uncontrollable. An important fact about excessive worry is that around 85% of them are useless, do not occur, do not solve the problem or have no solution.
In this way, when the concerns They accumulate and become increasingly larger, these can lead to a series of negative consequences that can cause certain psychological discomfort. So much so that in most cases these end up focusing our attention on a topic that becomes the main thought of our life.
When the worry invades our lives and we end up thinking too much, this makes it more difficult for us to enjoy life. Recurring thoughts about worries can conquer our minds in such a way that we end up triggering everything from anxiety to self-esteem problems and even depression.
“Overthinking is the process of constantly analyzing and agonizing over one’s thoughts. It can include rumination, in which an individual is mentally stuck repeating their past or present decisions and/or actions.”
Jeffrey Huttman, clinical psychologist
Signs that you are too worried
People who are too worried They usually have a series of common attitudes:
Loss of productivity: When the worry interferes with your productivity, whether at work, school, or when performing day-to-day tasks, this may be a sign that you are too overwhelmed by these types of thoughts. The problem begins when we cannot put a stop to our worries because we are not attending to our responsibilities. The moment these thoughts interfere with our ability to concentrate, you are facing a problem that you should face.
You always think of the worst: The worry chronic is usually accompanied by chronic negativity. In fact, people who are too affected by these types of thoughts can feel helpless in certain situations due to these catastrophic beliefs.
Worrying too much about others: We can all worry about our loved ones from time to time, but when this becomes a routine, it is a problem that we should solve. If this kind of worries They take up a large part of your day, it is a sign that you are having negative ideas excessively.
Unfounded concern: It involves repeatedly thinking about unlikely negative situations. For example, you may constantly fear that you will lose your job even though you have not received any negative feedback about your work.
Always be worried: Obviously, if you always have a worry in your thoughts, it is a bad sign. In these cases, it is likely that the worries have become ingrained into our thinking pattern, making them part of our daily mental habits.
If you feel identified with these attitudes, it is likely that you are worrying too excessively. Given this, it is important to take actions to reduce these types of behaviors and negative thought patterns.
Why is there concern? Causes of concerns
Although excessive worry or excessive worry It can bring negative emotions into our lives, the reality is that in most cases this is an essential emotion for our well-being. The problem arises when worries invade our entire mind, causing us to only be focused on them. The main reasons why we cannot live without worries are the following.
Low self-esteem: People who suffer from low self-esteem tend to think too much about worries. Especially those that are closely related to your self-perception and the acceptance of others. That is, in these cases many cannot stop worrying about others and the impressions they have of them.
Stress and anxiety: When an individual has a life full of large doses of stress and anxiety, it is usually related to a excessive worry or towards work or because of the situation that is being experienced.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: In some cases the concerns and excess negativity in thinking may be reflecting OCD. So much so that when the concern is about a very recurrent issue, it is very likely that you will have this type of psychological pathology.
Depression: Excess sadness and worry can lead to depression. In these cases, not only do people feel a excessive worry by what surrounds them, but also not knowing how to calm down and leave all the negativity behind.
Social anxiety: When someone can’t stop worry about others and this leads him to stop interacting with others, it is likely that we are dealing with a person with social anxiety.
Traumas: One of the effects that can cause the most excessive worry In people they are traumas. These painful experiences from our past can become part of our daily concerns even though the traumatic event has long since happened.
Although in most cases being worried causes us discomfort, the concerns They also have a positive part that makes us improve our survival. Thanks to them we can pay more attention and prevent certain events before they happen.
Types of concerns
Worrying without acting is of no use. It is for this reason that, depending on the usefulness we can give to concerns, we can classify them into various types:
Immediate problems modifiable and based on reality For example, headache
Immediate problems not modifiable For example: I want to be a flight attendant but I’m short.
Events improbable not modifiable Example: call from my boss, it means he wants to fire me
Events uncertain what could happen, but I am not sure that they will occur. Example: fear that my baby will inherit my illness when he grows up. Here I can prevent what happens
We suffer more from things we imagine than from what actually happens. Human beings spend their lives complaining or worrying about things that have not happened yet, or regretting past events that we can no longer change. We forget that we only have control of our present.
How to stop worrying about everything?
There is a psychological method to achieve leave behind a worry and focus on the present. Although these techniques will be useful to you, you must identify if behind your worries there is a psychological pathology that could cause them. In these cases it is essential that you consult with a psychology professional.
Take care: An effective way to know how to stop worrying For everything it is precisely by doing new activities and leaving our comfort zone. Excessive routine, as well as not experiencing new emotions and sensations, can mean that worries end up conquering all our thoughts. Maybe this is a good sign to start doing the things you really like.
Become aware of your thoughts: There are a series of limiting beliefs or ideas that hide behind the difficulty of leaving worries behind. The limiting thoughts that condition us can be the gasoline that fuels our daily dose of worry Therefore, it is vital to try to become aware of your own thoughts and control your emotions in this sense.
Accept that you are not in control: In many cases people they worry by situations or moments over which they have no control. Accepting that we do not have the responsibility or ability to change certain experiences or situations around us is a useful way of viewing our existence.
“When we are not able to change a situation, we are faced with the challenge of changing ourselves” Viktor Frankl
Take responsibility: Although there are many situations over which we do not exercise control, it is essential to take responsibility for those that we can change. That is to say, leave worry aside It is something that we do have influence over. Therefore, it is vital to make certain decisions with which you can change the course of your life.
Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness or meditation can help you achieve full attention. This faculty involves leaving worries behind and focusing on the present with all our senses. Another exercise that can help you overcome your worry They are relaxation techniques.
Analyze your thoughts: A good way to Stop worrying of or for something is by analyzing our thoughts. So much so that one of the best techniques to disconnect from your mind can be keeping a journal of your thoughts. In it you must write how you feel and what ideas lead you to feel those precise emotions. This way you can identify a pattern in your thoughts to leave worries behind.
Get to know yourself more: Sometimes we think we know each other more than we really do. Dedicating weekly or daily time to being with ourselves and seeing what we really want in our lives can be essential to leave the worry that is bothering us so much. Therefore, self-reflection and self-knowledge are essential in our lives.
Leave behind the concerns It requires some effort on our part. Recognizing where they come from and analyzing why they arise is a task that will give you many benefits. This way you can use worries as alarm signals that tell you that something is not going quite right.
What do you do when you feel like you can’t take it anymore?
If the concerns have taken control of your life, you must act to change this situation. When you feel helpless, you should go to your family and friends to talk about this problem and work to change these types of negative thoughts. In these cases, you should consider whether you require the help of a mental health professional. Remember that many times we act based on what we think, therefore, it is vital to take care of our thoughts.
