10 Tactics I Used This Week To Deal With Worry
I have been having a fantastic week camping and running in the mountains, but underlying the fun has been a low-simmer worry about some personal and professional things coming up.
Logically, I know that worry is most often a useless feeling. Like insurance, it's there to help mitigate the rare bad situations, but it costs us the rest of the time.
Emotionally, however, it's hard to shake those illogical worrisome feelings without having some counteracting tactics to run interference.
1. I looked at images online of the Earth taken from millions of miles away.
This tactic is so good at reminding me just how small and insignificant we are. All of those worries and anxieties just melt away when I realize that my worries are a tiny part of me, and I am a tiny part of the planet, and the planet is a tiny part of the universe.
This image is of the Earth and Moon as seen 88 million miles away from Mars (nasa.gov).
2. I used Star Therapy.
Similar to looking at images of Earth from space, Star Therapy is designed to remind us of how small we are and how there are more important things in this universe than our petty worries.
How do you do it? At night, stare up at the stars for a long period of uninterrupted time. That's it. If you haven't done it, then it may sound silly. I would suggest trying it before deciding.
3. I did guided meditation every day using Insight Timer.
Insight Timer (https://insighttimer.com) is the best free meditation application out there, hands down. My favorite teachers are davidji and Sarah Blondin.
4. I ran up and down steep mountains.
This activity is one of my favorite things to do. 99.9% of the time it completely eliminates all worrisome feelings. It's like a magic trick. Find that one physical activity that takes your brain's focus away from an unknown future and places it squarely in the present moment.
5. I engaged in conversations with strangers (gasp!).
As a card-carrying member of the Introvert Party, I can think of few things less enticing than drumming up conversations with strangers. However, it's a great tactic to get out of my head and be present. It helps that I frequent independent coffee shops, where people are generally more approachable and easy to talk to. Find "your crowd," start a conversation, and watch the worry go bye-bye.
6. I went camping in the woods.
Investing long stretches of time in nature always helps to soothe worry and anxiety.
7. I meandered through an independent bookstore for an hour.
This is one of my favorite activities as well, and a great way to take my mind off of needless worries.
8. I talked with both of my parents.
They are both in their 70s and I'm fortunate that they are still around and relatively healthy. Talk to them if you still can, folks.
9. I thought about the worst-case scenario and imagined how I would respond.
For you fans of stoicism, this is a classic tactic to deal with worry. If you already know the worst and are prepared for it, there is never a reason to worry.
10. I wrote this list.
Despite all the tricks and hacks, I still woke up this morning with a sense of worry. So, I thought it would be cathartic to write this list. I think it worked!
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