Don't Worry, Be Happy

Abigail Noel • January 22, 2021

Too much worry can interfere with being happy. Check out the tips to reduce daily worry.

  • Learn to relax. Using brief relaxation techniques during the day such as progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing. These techniques take practice, but can provide a state of calmness and help you take your mind off your worries.
  • Move from worry to action. Anxiety can be a signal to act. Worrying can be helpful when it prepares you for the inevitable or prompts you to take useful action.
  • Check the facts. Worries have a way of becoming exaggerated. Most of the awful things we imagine never come to pass. Before you spend a day worrying, check the facts to see if it’s even worth thinking about!
  • Deal with uncertainty. Sometimes the only way to reduce uncertainty is to make a decision. Once you decide, you at least know what to do. But while you are uncertain, you are under constant stress with no obvious course of action.
  • Exercise reduces anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins and can produce a long-lasting calm.
  • Distract yourself. Whenever your mind endlessly repeats negative thoughts, practice diverting your attention to something else. Imagine a large stop sign, snap a rubber band that you wear around your wrist. Do anything that takes your mind off the worry.
  • Schedule worry time. Set aside 20-30 minutes during each day as your “worry time”. Jot down little things along with big ones that are bothering you. Be as specific as possible. Once you have a list, see if you can problem solve. If not, carry the problem over to tomorrow’s “worry time.” It will eventually get solved, or be dissolved!
  • Get help. If feelings of anxiety or fear are so strong that they interfere with work, pleasure or relationships, it may be time to call your EAP.
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