Antidotes for the Worrying Mind

For better or worse, we’ve inherited a worrying brain. This was really good news for our ancestors, who had to survive harsh conditions and constant predators and did so by being able to pay close attention to potential threats and dangers. But this is not so helpful for us modern humans though, who can find ourselves pulled into future “what if” thoughts that can fill many an hour of our waking lives. In my previous blog, “How Worry Takes Us Away From Our Lives“, I suggested some ways that we might work with minor worries and mental ruminations. In this blog I would like to elaborate on that, and offer some suggestions for what to do when we are feeling particularly stuck in intense worry feelings. I find for myself that I experience this most when I am worried about the well-being and health of a family member, when am sitting with uncertainty, or waiting on some resolution of a problem over which I have little control. Each of us has our own worry triggers, but the grip of worry is something we commonly experience as human beings. Here are some things that you can try when you are gripped by worry: 1. Be aware of where your mind is traveling. Often our minds travel to far away places down dark roads, without us being fully aware. For example, it is not uncommon for parents to experience a behavior crisis with their young child and have thoughts such as “if he/she is behaving this way now, how are they possibly going to get through high school and funct...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Panic Communication Habits Happiness Inspiration & Hope Mindfulness Self-Help Stress Emotional Support Gratitude Motivation Present Moment Rumination self-compassion Worry Source Type: blogs