What Is Actually Worth Worrying About?
Written by Craig Rogers, Posted on , in Section Embracing Our Uniqueness
If you're going through life like most people, then you're probably constantly juggling various worries and concerns while trying to manage the stress they bring into your life. This is a life long reality for the vast majority of individuals, but are the things you're worrying about really worth it? If you examine things objectively, you'll probably find they're not. Most people who spend a great deal of time worrying are consumed by thoughts of things that will never come to pass or that they can't change. This type of worrying is pointless and it just ends up being wasted energy and extra stress that you don't need. Fortunately, with the right attitude you can get yourself out of this vicious cycle and live a much happier life. The key to starting this process is identifying the parts of your life that are most prone to causing you to worry unnecessarily. These are the areas that must be addressed.
The Spectrum Of Worries
This diagram shows a simplified version of the general areas of worry that everyone has. If you examine your own worries, you'll find examples that fit into each category, but you'll likely also notice that one or two areas in particular contain the vast majority. Where your worries tend to cluster just depends on what is going on in your life. For example, someone with very high pressure job would probably have most of their concerns fall into the career section, while a person who was recently diagnosed with a serious medical condition would find that most of their worries center around their health. It can be useful to identify the section of the diagram that causes you the most concern, as this will allow you to focus your attention on making meaningful changes to this aspect of your life. Understanding the sources of your worries and stress is the first step towards living a happier more relaxed life and keeping yourself focused on things that really matter.
Unnecessary Worry Can Destroy Your Life
If you aren't able to stop yourself from falling into a pattern of looking for things to worry about, then it can quickly take over your life. Constant worrying causes stress, and high amounts of stress will impact every aspect of your life. In addition, maintaining a high stress level can cause serious damage to your health. With this in mind, it is important to work towards limiting the things you do worry about. It is impossible to go through life completely care free, one wouldn't be able to accomplish anything if they never had any concerns, but you must find a healthy balance. When you find this balance, you will find that your life improves dramatically. Don't fall into the trap of letting trivial worries control you.
Focus On Things Within Your Control
One of the most ironic things about chronic worrying is the fact that it often centers on things that are totally out of an individual's control. For example, many people spend a great deal of their lives worrying about and fearing death. This fear of death not only stops them from fully enjoying their lives, it is something that is completely and utterly outside their control. On some level, it makes sense to worry about things over which you might actually have some influence, but too many of our worries are about things like death. Situations or realities that we find disturbing or upsetting but which we can do nothing about. If your worries center around these types of concerns, it is important for you to understand the futility of your concerns and the negativity they are bringing into your life. Instead, focus your attention on things that you have some level of control over. In addition to just helping you improve your life, this approach will relieve stress by allowing you to actually make a meaningful impact on the things you worry about. People who are able to do this successfully often find themselves making great progress in their life, both personally and professionally, as they are then able to put more energy into things that actually matter.
Finding The Right Balance
Ultimately, managing your worries comes down to finding the right balance and choosing to only worry about things that actually matter. If you are able to find this balance, you will see your life improve greatly and you will be able to focus on the things that matter, while limiting any stress you feel from the things that don't. Keep in mind as you go through this process that worry is something that can never be totally eliminated from a person's life. Don't feel bad if there are times you find yourself worrying, just try to make sure it isn't an everyday occurrence and the worry is focused on something you can actually impact.
