It’s a brand new year! Hello 2010, welcome!

I wracked my brain over what my first 2010 Blog post should be. Every topic didn’t seem to do a new decade justice. So, I decided to do what I usually do… write about what I’m feeling connected to at the moment. With the end of the vacation in sight, and reality about to kick back in real soon, worrying seemed like the perfect topic.

worry wart

Us Diamonds are worry warts- me, hubby and both kids. It’s true. We are not the most relaxed kinda people, and we come by it honestly. We have worriers on both sides of the family.  I worry about my loved ones becoming  ill. My husband worries about the economy. My big son chews his sleeve when he’s anxious. And my little son hasn’t even walked down to the ocean once this trip, due to his fear of the waves. We pretty much threw him in the ocean the other day, which may have been mean, but we’re trying to de-sensitize him.  He didn’t worry one bit though, to drop his diaper and pee all over this big brother last week. Ew, gross! He got majorly punished for that one.

So as you know, my motherwho is my on-call therapist, always says to me, “Erica, most of the things people worry about, never ever come to pass.” Yah yah yah. I know this logically. I do. But it doesn’t really help me much. It’s like flying- I know my chances of dying on a plane are slim, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying that I am sitting on the one-in-a-million flight that is about to crash. I always check the closest exits, and my exit strategy is finely mapped out on every flight.

normal people worry me

Ladies, do you worry? Do you toss and turn at night unable to rest your mind? Do you bite your nails? Do you experience muscle tension? Are you absent minded or have a short attention span? These are all signs of worry. Seriously, with the way 2009 went for most people, it wouldn’t be off the wall if you experienced any to all of these. Or, perhaps you worry about what other people think about you, or if you’ve put on a few pounds. Worry comes in many different forms. But the question is, what are you going to do about your worrying? Chronic worry or anxiety take a very negative toll on your mind and body.

  1. I read something once that made perfect sense to me. The idea is to become conscious of your worry and negative thoughts. When you realize you are having a negative thought, you become aware of it. And once you become aware of it, you can put a plan into action to eliminate those bad thoughts. Keep a worry journal. Seriously.
  2. Remind yourself-  “What is the worst thing that could possibly happen if I don’t solve my problem?” And then try and think of an action plan if that worst-case-scenario happens. You may lose your first account. You may lose money. Your child may not get into their school of choice. It’s a possibility, but to lose sleep over every single thing that worries you, serves you no purpose.
  3. Seriously, try not to sweat the small stuff. Don’t let the little things ruin your happiness. Getting stuck in traffic is not worth killing your entire morning. It’s just not.
  4. Practice mediation, yogaor relaxation techniques. These are incredibly calming for your mind. I’m amazed at how much calmer I am after I leave a yoga class, and that feeling lasts me a long time.  That’s why I prefer to go to the gym in the am’s- it preps me for a good day.
  5. Count your blessings, not your troubles! Cheesy but true. And buy a few books– The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook is a great one I enjoyed, because it also has a workbook with exercises. When you “practice” not worrying, you actually improve. I love self-help books. I’m a self-help book junkie. They work as long as you consistently make the effort.

Ladies, what do YOU worry about? Do you have any tips that help you through your worries? This Blog is for women to help women, so please share your tips!

Happy New Year friends!

xoxEDxox