Beat The Worry Habit

A few years ago, I use to worry about every little thing, my worries were so irrational, I knew something had to change. I had to change.

We all have things to think about, we have health, financial, career and family issues. We also need to makes plans about the future but there is a difference between planning and worrying.

Worry eats us up bit by bit and if left unchecked it leads to various diseases, headaches, palpitations, anxiety, depression.

Here are a few indicators that you are a worrier.

• You analyse every possible outcome of any issue.
• You stay awake thinking and when you do fall asleep you have an unsettled rest
• You are not at peace
• Constantly seeking out information from various sources.  For example, googling an illness to see if the symptoms you are having matches.

How do we get out of this habit and dwell in a peaceful and restful place? Below are 5 helpful tips to deal with anxious thoughts.

1. Stop Being Anxious: Philippians 4:6-7 tells us not to be anxious about ANYTHING. Anything means anything. I used to be scare if I was at peace and have nothing to worry about. All I have to do is look around and find something.  This passage was a revelation to me. “Be anxious for nothing” absolutely nothing, But, in everything with prayer make your request known.
2. Pray: In prayer we tell God our problems. Tell him your needs and leave it in his hands trusting that he knows what's best for you and will bring it to pass.
3. Let go. The secret to enjoying life is to let go of every worry and release them to the all-seeing and knowing care of God. He cares for you and knows your future better than you. It is not enough to pray; you have to cede control to him. Do not retain ownership of the problem after praying.  Rather let go of your precious cargo… “The issues of life”. After praying make a conscious and deliberate choice not to think of the very thing you just prayed about. Dwell on the nature and goodness of God.
4. Place your trust in God: Being anxious indicates lack of trust. If you are anxious about your husband cheating it means you don’t trust him. If you trust him, you will not be anxious, no matter the time he gets home. Same with God. Trust in God frees us from worry because we trust him to fulfil his promises concerning us. We take no anxious thoughts for tomorrow, our next pay cheque, kids, economy or health because we trust him and know he cares for us.
5. Protect Your Heart: Close the door on negativity, people may be talking about you, trouble at work, set back in health and finances, stay in the secret place. Where you're protected from the cares of life's and the worries that comes with it.
6. Dwell On Good Things: Worry springs primarily from what we think about. To control your thoughts feed your mind on things which encourages and build you up. (take no thought of yourself)? Why are we told to take no thought? Because persistent thinking leads to worry. Our daily thoughts affect our peace, it's easy to guard your heart if you do not read negative stuff.  

You can take control of your anxiety, you can begin today to modify your heart and be in peace. Decide to let go and trust God to take care of you.

I Blew My Top Off: and stopped worrying.

Today was not meant to go the way it did, let me rephrase this morning was not meant to go the

way it did. I woke up not feeling high, no not high on any substance, I am usually in a good mood, singing and humming, Declaring into my day and all that. But not today. I just couldn't get going, well I did get going when I heard this news.

I blew my top off because I came out of the house to see a big crack on my windscreen.

I was not a happy bunny. Immediately I imagined a 1000 scenarios of how it could have happened. Did someone throw a brick and I didn’t notice, was it a malicious act? Etc. the conspiracy theory continued in my head. From there I moved on to the cost of fixing it up, and worried some more about that.

Finally, I had to stop. I was working myself into a fit. I had to stop. It’s only a screen I said out loud during one of my intense analysis.

The minute I did that I was able to see clearly what I can do, I immediately located my insurance documents, checked them to see if the repairs will be covered by them. Once this was confirmed

Then I contacted the workshop, and arranged for it to be replaced.

The moment I stopped I was able to think clearly and stopped worrying. Worry is a choice; it can be active or passive. So how do you deal with or stop yourself from worrying.

Here are my top 8 ways of dealing with Worrying thoughts.

1.                  Speak out loud: Worry often happens internally; we internalize our situation to the point of developing a headache. I have learnt to speak out loud whatever issues or situation causing me to worry. The sound of my voice, speaking out that issue shifts my focus from the internal to the external. It is just as if I have told someone those problems and the problem have become theirs. This helps me really analyse the situation from a 3^rd person point of view.

2.                Pray: This is closely related to speaking it out loud: In praying we give our problems over to God, he provides wisdom to deal with the issue and peace to live it in his hands

3.              Detach yourself; Speaking the problem out loud enables you to detach yourself from the situation. Being detach, you are able to analyse the situation from the outside. You can provide useful advice on how to deal with that issue as if you were talking to a friend.

4.                Focus on the solution. Being detach enables your mind to focus on several solutions, because you are no longer emotionally involved, the thought process is clear enough to provide alternatives to the problem.  The moment I stopped worrying I was able to see clearly a solution, “my insurance”. The time spent worrying was wasted.

5.                Take action: it would have been a total waste of my time to locate the insurance papers and do nothing about it. Once you have identified the solution, take action. Action will lead to results. Results ends worry. The moment I discovered it was covered by my insurance, I contacted the glass repair expert. I took action.

6.                Take a deep Breath. Yes, it’s that simple, often we are tense and really worked up. Taking a deep breath will loosen any tight muscles around the shoulders. Taking a deep breath may involve a 3 minutes breathing exercise which will help you refocus our mind

I do not take for granted that some of you may be going through some life threatening issues, you may feel that employing these steps does not apply to your particular situation.

My encouragement to you is to try them and see if there is any change in how you feel. 

find yourself fretting over any aspect of your life:

·         Speak out Loud (SOL)

·         Pray

·         Detach yourself

·         Focus on the solution

·         Take action

·         Take a deep breath.

Take these steps every time you find yourself engrossed in worrying thoughts and you will be amazed at how quickly your mental state will change from one of complete and utter confusion to being focused.

Please share with us steps you have taken to deal with worrying thoughts.

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Ways to Give Encouragement:

Have you ever received a word of encouragement which blessed you? A word which leaves you on the high for weeks....
I love encouraging words. I love to give it and I also love to receive it. I wasn't always a receiver.
For as long as I can remember, I held back from receiving, by refusing to share my feelings because I did not want any encouragement.

I was the giver right? I don't need to receive. I felt I was fine. I can encourage myself. Sure I can, but the problem with this kind of thinking is we become isolated from others, our friends and family cannot relate to this unemotional state of being.
Fortunately for me, my friends encouraged me regardless. I have been greatly blessed by the encouragements I received. I am now at a place where I can share my heart with someone dear just to receive an encouraging word.

I am even more blessed when someone is uplifted by a word of encouragement received from me. I feel humble at such times.
We are called to comfort others with the same comfort we have received. Spoken words does a lot for the soul. We can encourage each other in various ways.

Spoken Words:
We can encourage others by words, letting them know we sympathise/empathise with them at a difficult time can make a difference to how they feel.

Stories:
You may have gone through a similar experience, sharing that with someone, will help them to know that if you came through they can come through as well. If you are still going through your issues, tell them how you are able to cope and deal with it.

Use scriptures:
The word of God is powerful, nothing compares to speaking God's word to someone in need. Remind them what scripture says about the situation.

Do not overload them with it, just a few relevant scriptures they can hold on to will do.

Presence:
Knowing someone is going through stuff and being present can go a long way to comfort them. Job's friends were present, but said too much at times.
Just be present. You are not called to be the judge of the situation, so limit your admonition.
The presence of a friend in the time of need is as a warm blanket on a cold day. It is comforting in its presence.
There's is a time for speaking so you need to be sensitive to others and know when you can use words and when to just be present.

Pray
Prayer is the act of engaging with God for our needs. Tell God about the person and ask him to bring solution and clarity to the situation. You can pray with them while in their presence and continue after you have left. Prayer releases faith into a situation and breathes life into us.
Have you been comforted through you needs? Can you identify someone who may need encouragement today? Can you speak, pray, be present or do you have a story that will encourage them. Go on, call them today and let them know you care.

Let us bear one another's burden...