Developments in the world are rapid. Watching the news, it would be hard not to worry about the consequences of all that is happening to us and around the world. Uncertainty makes us lose control of our lives. Worry and anxiousness are common problems, even in the good times of our lives. They are painful when they take control and overwhelm us. However, we can deal with them, depending on how we respond to the situation.
What is worry?
As human beings, we have the amazing ability to think about future events. We have the ability to imagine what might happen in the future. Perhaps this ability implies that we can foresee obstacles or problems. So that we can find solutions and have the opportunity to respond. Also, the ability to imagine the future helps us set goals. However, many times this ability causes us worry, anxiousness and fear. When we worry too much, we often think of worst-case scenarios and believe that we won’t be able to deal with them.
When we worry, we may experience it as a chain of thoughts and images. These can proceed in increasingly destructive, improbable, and unrealistic directions. Sometimes the worry becomes uncontrollable, as if it has a personality of its own. It’s only natural that many of us may have recently noticed that we think of the worst-case scenarios.
Worries can escalate quickly, even from something relatively small. Worry is not only in our minds. When it becomes excessive, we also experience it as stress in our body.
Physical symptoms of worry and anxiousness include:
• Difficulty concentrating
• Restlessness and an inability to relax and be complacent
• Difficulty sleeping
• Feeling tired
• Muscle tension or body aches and pains
Are there different types of anxiousness?
Worry can be helpful or unhelpful. We can distinguish two types of concerns: those related to real problems, and those related to hypothetical problems.
• Realistic concerns are about real problems that need solutions right now. For example, given the very real concern about the viruses, there are helpful solutions that include regular hand washing and social isolation if symptoms are present.
• Hypothetical concerns about any health crisis may include thinking about worst-case scenarios (something we can call catastrophizing). For example, I imagine worst-case scenarios like the fact that most people die.
When does anxiousness become a problem?
We all worry to some degree, and when we think about the future, we can organize preparedness and coping plans. There is no “right” level of concern. We say that worry becomes a problem when it prevents us from living the life we want or makes us feel discouraged and exhausted.
What can I do when I feel stressed and worried?
It is natural to worry in the moment, but if we feel that the worry is becoming too much and taking over our lives, for example, if it makes us feel overstimulated and we lose sleep, then it might be worth trying to find ways to limit the time we spend worrying. So we take measures to safeguard our well-being.
Some things we can do to reduce stress and stay calm in extreme situations include:
• Keeping balance in our lives.
Prosperity comes from a life of balance. By doing activities we love, we enhance our well-being. We feel feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and closeness. We are social beings, and we need connections with people and things in order to grow and develop.
• Practice recognizing whether the worry is about real or hypothetical problems.
It is important to make some decisions regarding our concerns. A useful tool to help us identify the type of worry we have is to record our thoughts when we get too worried. Let’s see if we experience a lot of worry about hypothetical problems. Then it is important to remind ourselves that our mind is not focused on a problem that we can solve right now. Find ways to let go of anxiousness and focus on something else. We can also use this tool with children if they have difficulty managing the situation.
• Practice deferring our anxiousness.
Anxiousness is persistent; it can make us feel like we need to deal with it right now. But, we can experiment and postpone worry. In practice, this means intentionally setting aside some time each day to worry (e.g., 30 minutes at the end of each day). It may seem strange at first, but when we do it, we will see how it works. It also means that for the remaining 23.5 hours of the day, we try to let worry go until the scheduled “worry time” comes.
• Reassuring ourselves with compassion
It is especially important at this time to speak to ourselves with compassion. Let’s reassure him and find a way to find the inner judge. To have a friendly attitude towards what we feel and want. With more acceptance of sadness, anger, fear, and everything we feel, all our plans have been canceled, and this has caused a lot of pain and frustration. Let’s love ourselves and give it the hug it needs.
• Practice being in the here and now
When we feel overwhelmed by anxiousness it is very helpful to focus our attention on our breathing, the sounds that surround us, and our body. So that we find an “anchor” to return to the present moment.
If anxiousness paralyzes us, it would be helpful to seek out a psychotherapist
If we feel that anxiousness is overwhelming us, it is important to seek professional help from an expert. Either in person or online. Psychotherapy can help us feel more secure. To find a companion in our process who will support us throughout this crisis. So that we can express all that we feel and find ways to deal with the problems we face. So we will find more creative ways and be more functional, enjoying more and worrying less We will live with more passion and joy, free to be ourselves and live the life we want!