Worry Time
In all your worrying, don’t forget to include worrying about worrying.
And if you forget to worry about worrying, maybe worry a bit about that too!
“What could that mean? Why am I not a first-class worrier who remembers to worry about the fact that I worry? Does it mean I don’t care? Am I too relaxed?” (Hint: you’re not)
Just for today, notice the worry and do nothing about it. It’s too big a step to NOT WORRY (heavens, the whole sky might collapse on your head!). But instead, feel the worry and let it ride sidecar for the rest of your day.
“Oh hey Worry! Need a snack? I’ve got yogurt with chocolate chips or maybe you prefer half a bag of Lay’s potato chips. No? You’re just glad I said hello? Wonderful!”
And go back to life.
I haven’t found a cure for worry. I have learned a technique that helps me not let worry shipwreck the day.
Schedule some worry time.
When worry pops up in the morning, say to it: “Oh hey worry! Let’s obsess about that Very Important Item at 4:00 PM when the baby naps. I’ll give you a full 30 minutes to unleash yourself.”
Each time the worry returns during the day, remind Worry:
“Yeah, I know how important that is. We’ll get to it at 4:00.”
Keep your appointment.
At 4:00 pm, park the kids in front of the TV, find a space for yourself and worry your head off! Really get into it. Make lists you’ll never accomplish, predict the disasters you are sure may unfold, tell off the person who won’t share your worries with you, cry, schedule all the things. Obsess for 30 minutes. Ding! Once the session ends, let your worried mind know you’ll pay attention to it again tomorrow at the appointed time.
We can’t get rid of worry but we can give it some boundaries. It’s not right that it robs you of poetry teatime or the joy of the read aloud. Put worry in its place! See how it goes.
This post is originally from my @juliebravewriter Instagram account.
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