March 19, Tuesday ~ Giving Up Worry
- wendybrussel
- Mar 19, 2024
- 2 min read
Giving Up Worry
Today, we will be giving up worry. That is a fast I would like to take with me long after Lent is over. As much as I love the scripture Ressler has given us for today’s fast, I need a concrete plan to move through worry before it gets to stress and anxiety. That is the progression if you don’t get a handle on things early in the game.
There is a great article in the New York Times that not only differentiates worry, stress, and anxiety but also gives concrete steps to take to get yourself through the worry phase before it turns into stress and anxiety. I thought sharing it with you would augment Ressler’s discussion.
What is worry?
Worry is what happens when your mind dwells on negative thoughts, uncertain outcomes or things that could go wrong. “Worry tends to be repetitive, obsessive thoughts,” said Melanie Greenberg, a clinical psychologist in Mill Valley, Calif., and the author of “The Stress-Proof Brain” (2017). “It’s the cognitive component of anxiety.” Simply put, worry happens only in your mind, not in your body.
Worry is also likely to cause us to problem-solve or take action, both of which are positive things. “Worry is a way for your brain to handle problems in order to keep you safe,” Dr. Marques explained. “It’s only when we get stuck thinking about a problem that worry stops being functional.”
The NYT article outlines a great approach to handling worry. Here is an excerpt from that article.
Three things to help your worries:
Give yourself a worry “budget,” an amount of time in which you allow yourself to worry about a problem. When that time is up (start with 20 minutes), consciously redirect your thoughts.
When you notice that you’re worried about something, push yourself to come up with a next step or to take action.
Write your worries down. Research has shown that just eight to 10 minutes of writing can help calm obsessive thoughts.
Remember: Worry is helpful only if it leads to change, not if it turns into obsessive thoughts.
At any point if you are feeling overwhelmed by this content or just want to have a further discussion about the topic, feel free to contact pastormattbridges@gmail.com or wendy@encompassthespirit.com
Recently, the cyberattack on insurance portals has hurt my business. I started to worry about what I would do if things don't turn around soon. Then I began to remember that the reason I created this business was different than what I was looking at now. It was not to make a profit. It was to make therapy affordable for people who struggle and aren't eligible for financial assistance. This was a nicely delivered kick in the pants that I needed. I need to turn my focus on God's work, not my own.
Signs of Worry
I saw a billboard once that said,
“Worry is a misuse of the imagination.”
It took a while for me to understand that sign.
I’m not a worrier…typically…
But then I had teenagers!
The imagination can be really active
When teenagers are involved.
Mine are grown now
And happily married.
But the words of that sign are as real today
As the day I read them.
I want to post a yard sign of my own that says,
“Worry is thinking God is not going to get it right.”