If I were a doctor and you came to me saying you’re suffering from chronic worrying, I’d hand you an antidote in a bottle called Faith. No drugs required. Worrying is a mental habit and requires a mental cure. And a mental cure comes in the form of a new mental habit. With faith, you can face your worrying and find your way to a calm and peaceful state of mind. 

I admit.

Anxiety has always been my uneasy feeling of choice. It’s a strong habit I’ve focused on dissolving for the last few years. Before that, I didn’t know any better. I didn’t realize I had a choice. 

I became a big believer in facing uneasy feelings right away. I’ve got faith that the handful of processes that I use to manage my worries work and I’ll feel relieved on the other side. 

Now, my approach is more proactive than reactive. I say yes to being calm and taking action. I say yes to positively impacting others. Because this is so important to me, I’ve got something I must do that’s been lingering for a while. 

I know it’s possible that on my upcoming trip to India a deep worry will be triggered. This worry pops up when I travel.It happens when I wake up suddenly. It’s an odd one. I literally wonder who I am and where I’m at. It’s a severe feeling of disorientation and disconnection.

As I self-coach myself, I’m going to share my easy method for tackling this possible worry head on.

Please know that each person is different and each worry is different. You’ve got to play around with different methods to see what works best for you.

That’s what I do. 

An Easy Method to Stop Your Worrying

1. Identify Your Worry Habit 

I say this often – name the unpleasant thing. I do because it’s powerful and gives you clarity. It physically gets it out of where it’s stuck in your body. Seeing your worry habits takes both mindfulness and courage. It makes it a lot easier to get through when you realize the immense relief you’ll feel on the other side. The unfortunate truth is leaving them inside will never give you the peace of mind you want. 

2. Find it’s Source in Your Body

Uneasy feelings get stuck in your parts. Literally. Think about it. Imagine something you’re worrying about right now. Go inside and trace where in your body it’s coming from. Be like a doctor taking an X-ray. Check out it’s size and how it’s moving in your body. 

For me, I know my habit is for the anxiety to be based in my heart. So, I spend a lot of time getting to know what it feels like and even exaggerating it. This helps me get clear on what’s going on.

3. Discover the Positive Intention

Now that you know where this uneasy feeling is coming from, take a very clear look at it. Ask that part  what is the positive intention of feeling like this. All uneasy feelings arise to tell us something we need to know. 

If I look at my worry that arises when I travel, it’s positive intention is for me to feel grounded and connected to everything. To be clear on who I am and where I’m at a very high level. This worry is not sitting inside trying to make me feel bad on purpose. It’s helping me meet a need that’s not being met. 

4. Consider Alternatives to Meet Your Need

If you zone in on the positive intention of your worry, it becomes easy to come up with several options to meet that need in a healthy way. Try to come up with at least 3 alternatives. Be creative and stretch yourself. 

To continue with my example, some options I can consider are: 1) daily meditation on connection to others, 2) stepping into that uneasy feeling and reframing it, 3) visualizing my upcoming trip and how clearly connected I am to everyone, or 4) see my higher self and ask her for advice.

5. Visualize, Choose, and Act 

Finally, visualize each alternative you’ve created. Check in with your heart. Pick the method that feels best to you. Then, make a beautiful mini-movie and see how smoothly you can move through the worry that’s on your mind. Let the feeling of relief and relaxation flow through your body.

Layout some clear actions and do them. Make them very visible. I’d encourage putting things in your calendar. And, remember the important insights you gained through this process. Write them down. 

In Summary 

There’s no better time to start than now. Your worry habit is a thief and is stealing your peace of mind (not to mention your time). You can do this anywhere – at your desk, on the train, while you’re walking. Have faith in your inner resources. You can do this and you will. I promise. 

I’d love to hear in the comments what worry habit you’ll focus on first. You know what I said. Naming it starts taking away it’s energy and imagine how powerful it is when you share this with others. 

With ease. 

Jennifer