Minimize Anxiety by Assigning It to Your Day
Worry rarely solves anything, but many of us simply cannot resist it when we should be doing something else. Rather than letting worry distract you from your life, set aside a special time for it.
According to psychotherapist Amy Morin in an article for Psychology Today, research has shown that practicing anxiety daily reduces anxiety. If you have an anxiety disorder, it will require treatment from a healthcare professional; however, many people simply fall into the trap of anxiety because they are used to anticipating the worst, which causes all sorts of problems:
Reflecting on the past and worrying about the future make it impossible to stay in the present moment. Consequently, anxiety will impair your performance and affect almost everything you do.
It can also seriously affect your relationship. If you get distracted all the time or introduce “what if…” questions into conversations because you predict dire outcomes, those around you can get tired.
But scheduling anxiety at a set time can fix this problem. Here’s how to get started.
Choose a 30 minute window
Set aside 30 minutes of worry on your calendar. Maureen says it’s best to set a constant time of day, but it’s best if it’s not too close to when you go to bed. Maybe you don’t need all of this, maybe at first you find that you need more, but try to hold it back for up to half an hour.
Don’t let worry invade
If during the day you feel that you are worried about something that is not relevant at the moment, remind yourself that you have time to think about it later. Save this. These worries have a place, and you will achieve them. Then try to reconnect with what is happening around you at the moment.
Keep a notebook
When your half hour of anxiety arrives, use your notebook to catalog and process what is causing you anxiety. Sometimes writing things down can help relieve stress because you can see how serious or absurd your experiences are and which you can get rid of. Maureen doesn’t suggest this, but it can be helpful to keep this notebook handy throughout the day when you’re just starting out: when anxiety arises, you can jot down a note on it for later. You don’t want to worry about forgetting your worries!
Set timer
When those 30 minutes are up, the timer will ring and you will be freed from worries for another 24 hours. Maureen says that two weeks of exercise should produce definite results; Over time, many of her clients find that they generally feel less anxious, feel better, and sleep better because these worries do not drain their mental strength throughout the day. At the very least, it will give structure to all this free-floating fear.