HOW TO CONTROL THE HABITS OF WORRY AND STRESS by Pennie Hunt

Have you made worry and stress habits?
​It is easy to do. First, you begin by worrying about everything and everyone. Then you start catastrophizing everything you are worried about and imagining the worst-case scenario and outcome. Finally, you begin believing that it helps the situation if you are stressed and worried about it. That’s it. These three steps are repeated, and the habit is formed.
 
Every time someone you care about is having a life struggle, you worry. Every time you watch the news you layer the worries of the world onto your shoulders. Politics, the economy, disputes between countries, tragedies, and the wild weather all become your worries. The three steps are repeated. And you worry, worry, worry. Stress grows and the habit of being stressed becomes stronger.
 
I know because I have done this many times in my life. And every time I have paid a price for my self-inflicted worry and stress. For many of us, habitual stress plays out as a health issue. When you create such a habit of stress, it builds up in your body. It finds a comfortable place in your body to live and at some point, it will show itself outwardly. You may begin having migraines or stomach issues. It might be hair loss or weight gain or loss. It might show itself as a more serious issue. Stress can do crazy things to your body. If you don’t take care of yourself and manage your stress, your body is going to act out and force you to notice.
  
We all have difficult times when we are in real-life situations that cause us occasional stress and worry. This is normal. It is when the habit of worrying and stressing is formed that it is a problem. Worry is a negative meditation. Instead of meditating on clearing your mind and finding inner peace, you are meditating on worry and creating inner stress.
 
Athletes understand the technique of visualizing winning the game or crossing the finish line in first place before the competition begins. Through clear visualization, the mind doesn’t know if you are imagining it or if it is happening. By visualizing, the mind believes you have already won before the opening whistle blows.
 
This happens negatively when you worry. When you visualize repeatedly the worst outcome to a situation your mind believes it is happening. Stress builds in your body. When you get upset about everyone’s problems, and everything on the news, your mind doesn’t know if you are just thinking stressful thoughts or if you a “in” a stressful situation- it reacts the same way. Our body and mind begin living in survival mode. The mind believes the worst will (or is) happening, so the turmoil becomes the fuel for more and more inner stress.
 
You can turn this around. You can break the habit of perpetual worry and stress. Learn to control what you put in your mind just like you control the food you put in your body. Stop visualizing the worst outcome for every situation. Instead, visualize winning the game. See yourself and others in the best possible outcome. How would you look, how would it feel to have the problem solved, and how would you act? Play this visual over and over in your mind until you believe it could be true. This is a positive meditation. This will relax your mind and your body. Stress will no longer be invited to create health issues.
 
Have you made worry and stress habits? It is easy to do. But if it is easy to do, it is easy not to do.
 
Pennie’s Life Lesson: Learn to control the thoughts you put in your mind. Don’t allow worry and stress to become habits. 

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