Mental Health Worry

How To Stop Worrying About The Past And Start Living

For whatever reason, we tend to have ups and downs, and worry plays an important part in it. Worry is a thief of time and energy. It saps our strength and keeps us from enjoying life. In this day and age, more people than ever are plagued with constant worry.

They spend more hours worrying than doing anything constructive. When they are not worrying, they are thinking about worrying. They are always on the “edge” of panic.

Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere. The only difference is, when you are rocking in a rocking chair, you are eventually going to be rocked off of it… into oblivion!

You are the only one who can change the future but you need to stop worrying about the past. When you keep worrying about the mistakes you have made in the past, for example, you are stopping yourself from moving forward.

The past has no bearing on the future, so worry about making the right choice in the future instead of worrying about the wrong choice you made in the past. If you are worried about the future, worry about what you can do to make it better. If you are worried about the past, worry about how you can learn from your mistakes.

Here are 9 tips to help you overcome worry:

1. Don’t let negative thoughts take over your mind

That negative thinking is what causes you to worry. Every time you allow yourself to think about something that has a negative outcome, you are mentally preparing for that outcome. If someone had a heart attack right in front of you while you had a negative thought, you would be so upset. You would probably start worrying about your own health.

2. Give yourself permission to have positive thoughts

Worry is the opposite of faith. You cannot worry if you give yourself permission to have positive thoughts. It is impossible! If it’s not impossible, then don’t make it possible by giving yourself the wrong kinds of thoughts! Give yourself the kind that produces positive results!

3. Don’t try to figure everything out! Trying to figure things out is a form of worrying. Most people spend 95% of their time and energy worrying about something they cannot change… and… only 5% of their time and energy on what they can actually change.

4. Let go of the need for control

There is almost no one in the world who does not have a “need for control.” The need to be in control is like an addiction. You become addicted to the feeling of being in control. It produces a chemical high in your brain. However, the truth is, you never really are in complete control of anything. Even if you think you are, you are not.

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5. Do one thing at a time

It is impossible to think about more than one thing at a time. If you try to think about two things, soon you will find yourself thinking about three things, then four, and soon you will be lost in a sea of “busy-ness.” Get rid of the idea that you can do more than one thing at a time. You can’t! Focus on one thing until you have completed that one thing… and then… move on to the next thing.

6. Set goals and work toward them

This will take away the need to worry about the future. Goals give your life direction and purpose. When you have a goal, you set out on a defined path that leads to a specific destination. Worrying about what lies beyond the end of your current goal is defeating itself. You will stay stuck in the same place… no matter how hard you try to get going!

7. Concentrate on the present moment

It is easy to get lost in the past or the future, but it is difficult to stay focused on the present moment. The present moment is where all the action is. Most people are so consumed with the past or the future. They are living in “slow motion.” They are like a person who has had too much alcohol. Everything is blurred, and it takes a lot of effort to get back to “normal” speed.

8. Smile

Smiling releases positive endorphins that make you feel happy and reduce stress. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to worry, the first thing you should do is… smile!

9. Accept things as they are

There is no use fighting the inevitable. When things happen, whether good or bad, you cannot control them. The only thing you can control is your reaction to those events. Therefore, the first thing you should do in any kind of difficulty is… Calm Yourself Down! It’s from a calm state of being that you can usually make the best decisions and how you direct yourself going forward.

Life is a journey, and we can’t go back and change the past. The past is just that, the past. The only thing we can do is learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward. We hope this post has helped give you some ideas on how to stop worrying about the past and start living!

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» Stop Your Mind From Too Much Worrying and Thinking