Worry is like rain in Manchester – part of what you accept and adapt to as the price of living here. Worry is the price of being human!
Worries will always pop into our mind, but when they do, we can either invest time and energy in them, or let them go. There are two types of worry:
1. Practical worries. These are the ‘here and now’ worries that are most often within our control.
2. Hypothetical worries. These are generally future-focussed, unlikely to happen, unpredictable, and outside of our control.
Choosing to invest time in a hypothetical worry is unhelpful and often leads to rumination, anxiety and distraction. Letting hypothetical concerns go, allows acceptance and for us to focus on the present.
However letting practical worries go might provide short-term relief, but ignoring the problem can lead to procrastination. Investing time and energy into solutions and action planning is what is truly helpful. And if we can’t come up with solutions and an action plan, then maybe the worry isn’t practical, and it is hypothetical after all.
The key takeaway here is that once the worry pops into your head, notice it and name it, and then let this guide you to the most helpful response.
If this blog has resonated with you in some way, feel free to get in touch with me and we can explore how to resolve your challenge.