My goodness, what do we worry about? 

Time.  We don’t have time to do the things we want.  We don’t have time to spend relaxing with people—people who need that time from us.

We worry about Our Health…

Our Mind…

What will “someone” think—about “something” we’ve done?

About Storms…

Or Our clothes don’t look as nice as “someone else’s”…

Not enough money… can’t pay all the bills…

Family…

About whether someone's upset about “something”…

Getting all the work done…

And a Million other things!

All these things can be sooo REAL, and sooo Important.

But… Has any of that worrying helped you… ever?  In any way?

Did you ever worry about the monster being under the bed, or in the closet?

          about losing your job? Or your income?

          about losing your home?

about having an accident?

          about losing your health?  (There are people who can help you—I can help you.)

Have you ever lost sleep, worrying?

I know we’ve lost peace of mind, worrying.

And besides that, we live in a culture of urgency for everything.

But has the worrying ever helped you in the slightest?

Why do we worry?

Can we stop worrying? 

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Police are trained to go toward danger.

Emergency Services are trained to protect themselves so they can be the ones to make situations safer for the population in general (so they can coordinate in times of danger of dams breaking, etc.)

I believe it has to do with everything; our background, how we were raised, things that have happened in our lives… AND how we might have been trained.

Some believe that people have a different genetic pre-disposition to worry, or that different people have differences in brain chemicals that influence our “worry levels”.  I truly just don’t know about that.

I do know:

1.     Some people tend to focus on the negatives in their life, which I believe makes them more susceptible to worry.  There are many ways, though, to change that habit to focus on “the good”.

2.     Worry can become a habit, that has been “learned” (from a time when things were very hard, or from watching a parent’s habit).  Like any bad habit, it can be changed over time, and switched out for a better habit.

3.     Sometimes worry can be a way to avoid facing our fears.  Do you face your fears, instead of ignoring them?  You can think, and figure out a way to face what you’re worrying about.

4.     Are you a perfectionist—worrying about making mistakes?  I can help you overcome this, and help you change this thought process.

5.     If you have more responsibility than you are comfortable with (like feeling responsible for others), that could trigger you to worry.

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Is worry ever ok? 

The amygdala in our brain is a very small part of our brain that can switch on in an instant when it thinks there is danger.

It’s there to protect us.  It’s job is to help us get out of danger quickly.  If we don’t switch it off, we may feel very stressed when there’s actually no danger there (panic attack, etc.) when we go through hard times in our lives, it’s easy to worry, and it’s hard to turn it off.

Normal, occasional “worry” can be healthy and just fine.  It can be helpful in helping us think ahead to potential problems.  It can be our brain telling us there is something more we need to think about.

But when you continue with it, over and over, and not allow it to be resolved—that’s when the problems build up.  That’s when it interferes with your daily life and causes distress to your nervous system (and other systems in your body).

This is when it can become not only chronic “worrying”, but chronic stress, and actually cause health problems, and mental health problems with anxiety disorders.

Minor health issues can start with headaches, stomach aches, nervousness, etc.  But if it goes unchecked, will eventually turn into actual illnesses.  If we don’t listen to our body warning us with these symptoms, it will turn into chronic illnesses.

If you are going through a hard time, an important decision, illness, family issues, problems with friends, these may be hard to turn off.  We can’t just say, “stop worrying” and expect it to happen.  Just putting the worries in the back of our mind doesn’t help at all, either.

At the same time, we’re feeling like we want to get away from this danger—but actually there is no danger.  And that’s the dilemma.

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If it seems like some people “don’t worry”, that’s probably not the case.  I think we all worry—just about different things and at different times.

I’ve always felt like I didn’t worry about the things I should worry about, and worried too much about things that were unimportant, or silly.

In church one Sunday, our pastor asked how many people felt worried.  I was surprised to see so many hands that went up.

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Do you realize you’re in charge?

Big worries, or small worries… you really are in charge.

There are things you can do.

1.     One thing you can do is breathe.  If that seems too simple, you just need to try it.  If you truly want to be in control of your worry, please do this.  If you have never tried it, you’ll probably be amazed.

a.      take a deep breath for a count of 4; hold your breath for a count of 4; breathe out for a count of 6.

b.     repeat for 3-4 times or so.

c.      you’ll feel more relaxed.

2.     Distract yourself in some way.

a.      think of 5 things to be thankful for;

b.     think of 2 or 3 things you can do in the next week to have fun;

c.      think of 2-3 people you like to be around;

d.     think of 3-4 things you would love to do “some day”;

e.      learn to meditate, and practice for 10-15 minutes, twice a day;

f.       give yourself some quiet, rest time during the day, in between your stressful life.

3.     Give your cell phone a rest!

4.     Then there are the healthy lifestyle things to do.

a.      stay off the sugar and ultra-processed food;

b.     start a night time ritual that will help you have a more peaceful evening and that will help you get to bed early enough to get a good night’s rest.

c.      take a short (or long) walk every day if at all possible; early morning is best;

d.     cultivate some good relationships in your life;

e.      drink lots of water through the day (every day);

f.       ask God to take your worries; depend on Him to nudge you in thinking of best ways to solve your problems.

These are a few of the many things that can help you worry less, so you can have a full and energetic, and peaceful life.

Chronic worry steals our Joy;

it steals our Thoughts;

it steals our Hope.

It keeps us from being Productive;

it sometimes keeps us from being Friendly and Helpful to others.

Without chronic worry, we have a lighter heart, it’s easier for us to have a friendly tone to others, and a more welcoming heart; we’re more productive and we can focus better.

If you’re a “worrier”, let’s work on that bad habit. 

Let’s get you to a place where your health can flourish, and your life can grow more easily.

If you need help, I’ll be glad to help you.

We can go in deeper detail of your worries, and figure out the cause, then work on that.

Thank you for reading.  Call me for more help.

Sharon

“…blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.".       -Jeremiah 17: 7-8

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."      -Matthew 11:28-30

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."        PSALM 23:4

And finally…

Matthew 6:25-34, King James Version

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.