Himani Nandwana

Worry is something most of us carry with us all day long. We were worried yesterday, we are worried today, and we will be worried tomorrow. There is no end to it. Interestingly, worry creates an anticipatory pattern in the mind that something may or may not happen. Let me share a short scenario that happened to me at work.

Yesterday, I had a client call that I felt confident I could handle with ease; I knew the gist of the project and the presentation model. Be that as it may, from the time I received the email for the call, there was an increasing commotion in my brain. How will it go? Will I perform well? Will I be able to demonstrate all the bullet points? These questions were hampering my thinking. Everything went well eventually but I still fretted over an outcome that didn’t happen.

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All worry is not harmful

We need to strike a balance between healthy worrying and a nerve-wracking process that leaves you a mess. A niggly concern about certain things is not harmful, rather, it is healthy to have little every day worries. It develops our mind, makes us better planners, prepares us for situations, and creates a healthy lifestyle. For example, worrying about our health, kids, family, career, safety, relationships, and food can reap us rewards as long as you don’t overdo it. A certain amount of apprehension leads you to act or redirect. If you’re agonizing over something obsessively then take it as a signal that you have crossed the line and it’s imperative to take steps to counteract the harmful effects from this.

Worrying over words is futile

We are surrounded by the spoken language and we think in words. It starts from the moment we open our eyes in the morning until we shut them at night. And sometimes, they don’t stop even in our sleep. Many people are known to sleep-talk, very often resulting in restless sleep. Words spoken to hurt have a heavy impact on our lives. It is one of the root causes of worry. And equally, if someone you’re in love with says, “Oh! you are awesome, you look great, you did it so well!”, it will fill you with elation. But fussing over words is futile. We communicate through language; words should just exist and not live within us.

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Ways to eliminate worries

Any form of mental tension has an adverse effect on our physical and mental health. The more the agitation inside, the less we think, perceive, and act. So, let’s look at some ways to deal with this disruptive state.

1. Beyond the words, lives love:Words are powerful but not as much as love. When not required, it is better to be silent than talk unnecessarily. Our consciousness is stress-free when there is less noise in our minds, however, this tenuous condition is lost with excessive talking. When we communicate in silence, we communicate with our hearts, we communicate with love. Worry becomes zero.
2. Pranayama and Meditation:Practice this ancient yogic art. Bhastrika Pranayama helps get rid of worries. Meditation has rich benefits for settling our calm and assembling our thoughts. Now that I practice it regularly, I know how Heartfulness meditation so capably takes care of my physical and mental well-being.
3. Make someone listen to you:Be it a family member or a trusted friend, share what is bothering you so much and get a better understanding of your dilemma. Expressing your vulnerability may lead you to mental peace, after all, a problem shared is a problem halved.
4. Increase your practice of Heartfulness Relaxation & Cleaning:Make this a regular part of your routine and notice the difference as it paves the path of consciousness and gets rid of negative thinking patterns. We get reality checks, different perspectives, broader vision to ideas, and alternative solutions.
5. Write a journal:If nothing from the above works for you and you still feel isolated, take a diary and write your worries, emotions, sentiments, and inner thoughts. We may not express ourselves openly in front of others but with writing, expressing becomes very easy. Collect all your worries and thoughts, and take time out each day to vent through words.

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Worry can become a chronic problem if allowed to go unchecked. While we cannot eliminate it completely, we can reduce its effect to a great extent. Remember, worrying doesn’t do anything to us – it only adds toxins to our system. Life goes on regardless . . . so, why worry?