Of all the ways you spend your time and energy, worrying is the biggest waste. It has absolutely no benefit.
Worrying negatively affects you on multiple levels—physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
It ages you.
And because your thoughts are creating your reality, worrying about something can actually manifest the things you fear.
For most of us, worrying is simply a bad habit we learned from adults when we were kids.
The good news is we can train ourselves to cut down or stop worrying altogether.
Anyone can break the habit of worrying
For much of my adult life, I was an habitual worrier. Feeling anxious all the time was normal.
In the mid-90’s, while I was touring the U.S. in a rock band, my anxieties almost got me kicked out the group. When you have to live, travel and work with the same people 24 hours a day for months at a time, no one wants to be around a chronic worrier.
But as I awakened spiritually and became more peaceful and centered, I discovered how wonderful it felt not being anxious all the time.
I learned how to stop worrying, and you can, too.
In this article I share four techniques you can start using immediately to break the cycle of fearful thinking and create new, beneficial habits.
But first, let’s take a brief walk on the negative side and look at how worrying is affecting you.
Here’s why worrying is hazardous to your well-being
Mentally – When you worry, you’re focusing your thoughts on what you fear. These fearful thoughts go out into the world and attract more of the same (in the realm of thought, like attracts like). And the Universe starts manifesting your future based on whatever you’re thinking about, whether it’s what you want or not.
Emotionally – Negative thoughts create negative emotions. Always. When you worry as a habit, it becomes harder and harder to nurture and maintain positive emotions. Your habit can become a download spiral, leading to anxiety disorders, depression and other unwanted conditions.
Physically – Your negative thoughts and emotions negatively affect every cell. They can weaken your immune system, create or worsen skin conditions, disrupt your digestive system, cause sleep problems, create headaches and backaches, cause problems with your heart and blood circulation, and more. Worrying stresses the body. It accelerates aging. It can make you sick.
Spiritually – Whenever you worry, you weaken your connection with you higher self. You step out of alignment with your life blueprint. And you diminish your psychic abilities. Worrisome thoughts inhibit your ability to receive valuable guidance from your higher self, guides and angels.
If you’re ready to break the habit, here’s where to start
Whenever you want to change your behavior, create a new reality, or manifest something you want, the best way to begin is to set your clear intention.
Take a deep breath and tell your higher self and the Universe you want to release the habit of worrying. Set your intent to catch yourself whenever worrisome thoughts start to arise.
Then, whenever you catch yourself, take a deep breath or two and consciously change your thoughts and behavior in that moment. Doing this consciously is the key.
As promised, here are four techniques I’ve used successfully to stop worrying about everything from finances to physical health.
Deep breathing and re-focusing attention
This is one of the simplest yet most effective tools available. And because it’s so simple, most people don’t use it.
Whenever you catch yourself feeling worried, pause. Take a deep breath through your nose. Exhale fully. Repeat a few times. Focus your attention on your breathing and how calming it feels to breathe deeply.
Then when you feel more calm and centered, consciously make the choice to start thinking about a completely different topic. Refocus your attention on something about which you can feel positive.
Try it. The more often you do this, the easier it becomes. And with practice, you begin creating a new habit of not worrying.
Imagining positive outcomes
This is one of my favorites and it’s a terrific new habit to create. When I catch myself thinking worrisome thoughts, I pause and take a deep breath or two. Then I start to imagine the exact opposite of what I was worrying about.
For example, if I was worrying about being late to an appointment, I start picturing myself arriving exactly on time, feeling calm and comfortable. I continue breathing deeply as I carefully think about the best possible outcome rather than the worst.
Doing short daily meditations
This is another technique that’s so simple most people don’t bother trying it. A habit of short, daily meditations can bring enormous, positive changes to your thought patterns and how you feel about life.
It can be as simple as spending 5 or 10 minutes each day with your eyes closed, focusing your attention on the rhythm of your breathing.
With regular practice, short daily meditations have a cumulative, positive affect on your thoughts and emotions. You become more connected to your higher self and higher path.
It’s never too late to create a positive new habit!
Practicing trust
Ultimately, to free yourself from worries, you must learn to trust the Universe, trust your higher self, and trust the process of life. Everything in life—and I mean EVERYTHING—is unfolding for your highest good and the highest good of everyone else. That’s the way this Universe works.
When you practice trusting, life gets much easier. You don’t react to people, situations and the world around you so much. You become a wise observer. You remain calm. You gain a wider perspective on life. Your thinking becomes clearer. Your psychic abilities open up.
Try it. Practice observing your life from the wise and loving perspective of your higher self. Then, use that same wise perspective to observe everyone else’s life.
Gradually, you’ll begin accepting and trusting whatever arises in life without judgment. You’ll start seeing the higher meaning and purpose in all of life’s experiences, even the hard, unpleasant ones.
Love yourself enough to change
Your thoughts and behaviors either enhance your energy and well-being or drain it. Nothing is neutral.
The act of worrying definitely falls into the negative category, but you can change that. Right now.
In this moment, you can choose to become a person who never worries… about anything. It’s never too late to change a habit, choose better ways to focus your thoughts, and create a new reality for yourself.
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