With the popularity of hacks springing up all around us for this or that I’ve decided to join the crowd. Here are some of the most effective ways to get control of stress, anxiety and worry.
- Don’t fight that feeling. If you are going to do it anyway at least take control of when it happens. Schedule 30 minutes of time to worry with abandon about what is troubling you. The trick is you need to stop & pack up that mess when your timer goes off after 30 minutes.
- Call someone who cares. Getting the thoughts out of your head & telling them to someone else may help you gain perspective.
- Write it down. If you find yourself awake at 3 am with all sorts of ideas swimming around in your head jot them down. Sometimes putting them on a tablet by the bed helps keep them out of your head for the rest of he night.
- Proactively worry. Take 15 minutes before you leave your desk at work to write out your to do list for the next day. Preferably prioritized. Then you have already thought through all the issues you may need to address so they won’t haunt you later.
- Put it on a shelf. This is the box you packed all those messy thoughts in from tip #1 above. It may be there with you but you don’t need to take it down & dig through it again. Leave it on the shelf so you can focus your attention on other matters at hand.
- Burn baby burn. Spend time reflecting on whether you are legitimately planning & making progress resolving your issue. If not you may need to let it go. Try writing it on a piece of paper and chucking it in the fireplace. (With all due safety precautions of course) Sometimes a symbolic gesture or ceremony helps us let go.
- Pass the buck. Consider whether this is your issue to worry about in the first place. Sometimes with the best of intentions we may have anxiety and worry about someone we care about but they really ought to be the one taking responsibility for the situation. If it’s not yours pass it on.
- Holler Mayday. Accept there may be times we need to send out a distress signal to call in some help. This may be guidance from a trusted family member, mentor or close friend. If you need something a bit stronger you may need to also call in professionals e.g. coaches, psychologists, accountants, solicitors etc. to help you untangle the knots.
- Know where the line is. With most things there is a productive amount of energy that can be spent brainstorming, researching, planning etc. However, there is also a tipping point where you begin to get diminishing returns for the time you are investing. The trick is to stop before you cross the line & start becoming unproductive.
- Go out and play. Become shamelessly absorbed in something you love. If it is a beautiful day go out & play, listen to your favourite song, read a good book… If you are fully focused on something positive you may have less head space for the mental garbage & worry to slip in.