Resilience Tips - How to Diminish and Master Worry

Tips

Here are some tips to help us diminish and master worry:

• We can conceptualise our thoughts and worries as objects we can reframe and manipulate. Please identify an unhelpful worry. Write this worry on a piece of paper, insert this paper into an envelope, enclose it, and tear up this envelope. You may observe the feelings and emotions the unhelpful worry now evokes, no longer seems to be so overwhelming.
• Also, we can conceptualise unhelpful worries as merely being objects - instead of us being defined by the worry. Please reflect upon your earlier unhelpful worry. Reframe your unhelpful thought as merely an object. Instead of thinking the unhelpful worry, tell yourself, "I am merely experiencing this unhelpful worry." We are not defined by the worry.
• Thirdly, we can evaluate our worrisome thoughts as being helpful or unhelpful, as a detective. Please reflect upon your earlier worry. Evaluate if it is helpful or unhelpful. Investigate how this thought occurred and evolved. Concluding that a worry is merely unhelpful, will further diminish the power of the unhelpful worrisome thought.
• Moreover, we can identify a word that epitomises your worries or concerns – a word that encompasses or seems to resonate with some of your worries. Next, consider the feelings and thoughts this word evokes. Then, repeat this word aloud, about 50 times, over a period of 20 to 40 seconds. Observe the feelings and thoughts this word now evokes. You might notice the word no longer seems to be so powerful. Instead, all you discern is a childish sound that seems to emanate from this word. This sound might now feel trivial or even amusing. This technique, called Titchener's Repetition, diminishes the power of worry and creates empowerment.
• Finally, we can schedule a dedicated time, every week, to worry about problems. You might, for example, decide that you can worry only from 5.00 to 5.30 pm on a Monday. Or you might choose another time – any time that is at least a few hours before bedtime. Maybe you could arrange to sit in a quiet, peaceful location like a park during these times. If ever you fret at other times, postpone these worries. You could repeat to yourself, "I will worry about this problem at the right time." You might note a few words about this worry, maybe in a reminder, to remind you of this problem later. After we apply this technique, called the Stimulus Control of Worry, we can more readily control worries. We are not as likely to feel inundated with thoughts we cannot defeat.