Guess What? Worrying About Your Problems Doesn't Work

Worrying. We all do it.

What people fail to realize when worrying is that you use your energy worrying yourself about how you're going to get something done, or make things work out, and that won't actually help you accomplish anything. In fact, the time that you're wasting and energy you're using can be put towards the actual effort of figuring it out.

When you worry, for one reason or another, it blocks your ability to think logically. We can't think straight when we're consumed with worry so the simplest solutions seem unreasonable and far-fetched. This is can be detrimental to progress.

Being consumed by anything can be very overwhelming, even more so when it's worry that's occupying too much of your mindspace. Everyone performs differently under pressure and sometimes you need to take a step back to regain focus. That doesn't mean push it to the back of your mind and deal with it later, it just means give yourself a little breathing room so your thoughts can come together. Putting it off to the last minute can put more pressure on you and create an opportunity for misjudgement. Under certain circumstances, worrying can be an innate reaction for some of us, but I have a few suggestions on how to combat this.

Do what you can.

Tackle the situation a little at a time. Figure out what it is that you can get done and do that; once that part is out of the way, then you'll be able to think more clearly. Things seem like less of a burden when they're broken down into pieces.

Be mindful of how you work best.

What situations are you most progressive in? Some people like to do the most complex tasks first and save the easiest things for last. If that works for you do that, or vice versa.

Keep it simple.

Maybe you're not in the mindstate of handling complexity at the moment so keep it simple. You must be conscious of what will be best for the situation you're in, so consider the simplest things that will lighten the load and lessen the worry.

Obtain a different perspective.

A fresh set of eyes could be exactly what you need. As the saying goes, you can't see the trees standing in the forest. When you're in the midst of a situation, you can't see clearly because you're too close to it. Ask someone you trust, whose opinion you value, for suggestions on how to handle whatever it is that has you worried.

Ask for help.

Sometimes it's just that simple. Getting someone to assist you, as a helping hand not a load-bearer, can be the solution. It may be like biting the bullet, especially for those that are used to doing everything on their own, but receiving genuine, no-strings-attached help can feel like a sigh of relief.

Not worrying is easier for some than it is for others, but it is something we can control. Developing an optimistic mindset will allow you to refrain from worrying, or at least figure out if there is an immediate solution before you decide to worry.

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When you're optimistic, your perception is different, and perception determines reality. If you think something is overwhelming, then that's how it's going to feel to you. Change your mindset so you can make proper use of your time and energy because worrying never changes anything.

Featured image by Getty Images.