2. Identify what your feelings are really about
Being able to hear what your feelings are really signaling takes practice and sometimes support from a therapist.
Yet, once you can reliably interpret the message your worry is giving you, you’ll immediately feel less at its mercy and have a clearer sense of what’s most important to you.
3. Sort through your worry
Identifying what you want and what to do to get there comes next.
You are ready to sort through the messages your feelings are signaling and identify the actions that can solve it.
4. Determine what action you’ll take
This step varies tremendously by individual and while determining worry’s message is different for everyone, so is identifying smart action. The trick is to focus on solutions that will best solve the drivers of your worry.
This is where listening to and thinking about your worry really matters. Inaccurate perceptions will spin ineffective action, that in turn, tend to generate more worry and angst whereas conceiving effective solutions tends to drive worry down.
Related: Here’s How To Stop Your Brain From Overthinking
5. Take action
Severe anxiety and worry offer the energy you need to forge solutions and it stubbornly won’t give up until you engage it. Once you’ve identified its message and the action steps you can take, you are moving into action.
Don’t be surprised if you start noticing a resurgence of avoidance, confusion, or resistance. It’s the moment of truth, and the physical sensations of worry are your body readying itself for action, not telling you to stop.
Worry’s impact on us boils down to how we think about it, and what we do with it.
Granted this is a high-level list of what to do when you worry too much. But, when you follow it and focus on using your experience to your benefit instead of listening to all the well-meaning people who keep telling you to stop worrying, you’ll discover your strength, courage, and capability to create a truly meaningful life.
Are you ready to calm your worry and anxiety?
Written By Dr. Alicia H. Clark
Originally Appeared On Your Tango
