The Nurturing Well by: Jill Starbuck
Jill Starbuck
Worry warts (people who chronically worry) exist everywhere. In fact, because of chronic worry, nearly 20% of the U.S. population now deals with an anxiety disorder, costing us nearly $42 billion annually. The fact that we worry is not the issue. The issue is that we don’t know how to worry well. Worrying is a natural part of life. It can be healthy by helping us anticipate potential danger or solve problems. The trouble happens when we don’t know how to stop worrying, making an issue an obsession.
Did you know that more than 85% of what we worry about never actually happens? Therefore, most of the time, we worry about nothing. However, many of us struggle with chronic worry because we are surrounded by media at every turn. From the radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, television, and smartphones, we have immediate access to the news. And a good portion of that news is drama. This means we are constantly surrounded by negative news, making it much harder for us to tune it out. Add our personal worries onto societal worries, and the result is millions of worry warts.
Constant worry brings a host of negative effects, including headaches, fatigue, muscle aches & tension, nausea, irritability, shortness of breath, and much more. For some, these effects can turn into more serious conditions such as weakened immune systems, heart attacks, digestive disorders, depression, and others.
While typical remedies include daily exercise, healthy eating, doctor visits, and the like, perhaps the best remedy is learning how to relax. Most worry warts simply don’t know how to relax. If you happen to be a worry wart, try some of the following relaxation techniques.
• Perform deep breathing.
• Take a yoga class.
• Meditate.
• Listen to calming music
• Sign up for Tai Chi.
• Go for a long solitary (or with a friend) walk.
• Read a book.
• Try aromatherapy
• Get a massage.
The key is to get your mind off the worry and focus on something else. Something that will provide stress relief. What works for one person may not work for another. It also may take time to figure out what will relax you. If you happen to be a chronic worrier, now is the time to seek resolution. Each moment spent worrying causes critical damage to your health. And remember that most of the time, your worries are unfounded.
