Guest Author - Vickie Enkoff

We all worry from time to time. Worrying is a continuing preoccupation with past or future bad events. Worrying can become a habit. Worrying has its benefits, but chronic worrying can prevent you from functioning well in your daily life.

What are the benefits of worrying? If you are worried about something, it brings to your attention that there is a problem that you need to resolve. Worry spurs us into action to take care of the problem. But worry can also cause us physical and emotional problems if we ignore the things that are bothering us.

What can you do when you find yourself spending too much time worrying?

1. Talk to a friend, life coach, or therapist so that you thoroughly understand the problem and feel better able to resolve it.

2. Analyze the problem:
a) Write down all the things that you are worried about
b) Pick the one that is causing you the most concern and write about it in detail.
c) Think of as many things you can to resolve the problem
d) Choose a plan, break it into small steps and decide how you can begin working on the problem.

3. Exercise or otherwise engage in physical activities that provide distraction and channel your energy into a more positive direction.

4. Limit your worrying to 30 minutes a day for a specific time frame.

5. Make a “to do” list itemizing each task you want to get done. Pick out the most important task and focus just on the one task at a time. When it is done, go to the next most important task.

6. Some people have a tendency to notice the negative things in the world and overlook all the positive things in their lives. Make a Gratitude list and write down five things each day that make you feel thankful. When I am sick, one of my Gratitudes is health insurance! Looking at the positive things will change your focus and help you have a better attitude.

7. Relax—Listen to a relaxation tape or CD. Tense your muscles and relax until you feel more relaxed throughout your body.

8. Focus your attention on your breathing and try to filter out all other distractions.

The purpose of worrying is to call your attention to problems that are bothering you. Too much worrying can cause emotional and physical problems, which may lead to an inability to follow through with daily activities. There are strategies to reduce worrying. Once you have taken steps to resolve the problem, find distractions while you wait for the problems to resolve. If you have done all you can about a problem, you need to stop worrying and focus your energy on more positive things. Sometimes things take time and you can use your time more productively on other concerns.


For more information on life coaching visit these links:

LifeCoaching vs Therapy Part I

LifeCoaching vs. Therapy Part II

Email Exchange Coaching