Six Simple Strategies to Ease Worry

Worry can be a terrible waste of our time and energy.

Worry creates anxiety, distress, panic, lack of sleep, mental suffering and horrible and uncomfortable feelings within the body. You may find yourself consumed, every thought quenching the life from your very veins. Your life force energy spirals out as you disconnect from reality and become ungrounded in your thoughts. Worry is fear in action.

Three years ago, I had a near-death experience in Bali. I had travelled alone, and when they found me in my cottage, I was barely conscious, severely dehydrated, and had pneumonia, but not just that, I was infected by the dengue virus which had been diagnosed four days earlier. I was rushed by ambulance to a hospital in Denpasar.

After many days in the hospital, I was discharged and had to go back to that little cottage near Ubud until I received the ‘fit for fly’ certificate. Initially, I had loved that place and planned to stay for three months. BUT the thought of going back into that cottage caused me distress. I felt panic inside, and all I wanted to do was run, run back home to Australia and be in the comfort of my own home. I was afraid another infected mosquito would bite me, and my thoughts weren’t helping.

If you have ever experienced worry in your life, I’d love to offer you some simple strategies and practices that may help. They certainly assisted me.

1. Ground yourself –

Stand, legs apart, knees flexible and place your hands on your belly and breathe deeply in through your nose and down into your belly and feel it inflate. This area is your seat of power, the sacral chakra, the balance of masculine and feminine. Breathe out slowly with a gentle sigh through your mouth, noticing the belly deflate. Do these steps three times with your eyes open.

Now, with hands still on your belly, breathe deeply into the belly and when you breathe out, bring your attention to your feet. Imagine your outward breath flowing down through your feet into the earth as roots form digging deeper through the soil connecting you to Mother Earth. Do these steps three times with your eyes open.

2. Change your Thought –

Remind yourself that worry only creates from a fearful place, and do you want to be frightened. I recommend that when you have negative thoughts take-action and say, “Delete, Delete, Delete.” If they are too consistent turn away physically in a different direction and think of gratitude and appreciation of one small thing in your life.

For example, it could be something as simple as; I’m grateful to be alive, or, I’m thankful for my friends and family (this could also be your furry family), or I’m grateful because I know the Universe/God has my back. Say your gratitude three times as if you were saying a mantra and feel the energy shift from negative to positive.

3. Self-Care –

Love is the highest form of healing and energy in creation. Nurture yourself, drink plenty of water, and eat nutritious, tasty food, and move your body.

Choose who you spend your valuable energy and time with, and I understand it could be difficult during the COVID-19 lockdown but setting healthy boundaries is essential.

Be gentle, kind and loving to yourself because a friendly and thoughtful gesture creates so much more lightness in your life. After all, if you worry, you deplete your life-force and how can you then support yourself or another if you have very little energy to do so.

4. Reset Your Focus –

Worry scatters your energy making you ungrounded and unbalanced. Recall your power back into you and stay focused on a positive outcome. The HOW is not essential. It’s releasing and letting go of control and trusting and focusing on the NOW, which is your greatest gift. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

5. Stop the Mind Chatter –

Place your hands in a prayer position and gently push your palms together. Your brain will need to investigate the pressure, and all thoughts will clear, allowing you to be present. Then place both hands over your heart and say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” It is with gratitude I thank Dr Wayne Dyer for the idea of the three thank you’s. Having the warmth of your own hands over your heart is comforting and reconnects you to your spirit, building faith and hope.

6. Remember –

You are a survivor and through past experience will thrive once again.

Through my experience in Bali, I admit it’s not always easy, but I can reassure you that when you stop the worry and focus on this moment in a grounded, loving and nurturing way. Your perception will change, and you will feel with much light and possibility.

I’ve also learnt that every experience in life teaches us something if we take the time to reflect and heal the trauma.