\n
This simple and valuable tool involved naming and listing worries, and then assessing them, as to whether they were real or imagined and whether you could act on them. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
First, there\u2019s something powerful about just listing these worries, acknowledging and accepting they are there. I found this valuable recently given my worry list seems long, keeps growing and can keep me awake at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Noting which worries or problems I could take a small action on, gave me some relief and perspective. Even though they are many, I note one foot in front of the other for each of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for the worries that were \u2018unwise\u2019, perhaps about the imaginary possible future, or ruminating about something I have no control over, they involve a different process. Here is where I find it helpful to rely on the stress management practices and tools I have accumulated over the years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the first places I go for unwise worries, is to a form of mindfulness practice, first acknowledging that worry or fear, what it is about or telling me, and asking myself if this helpful to be thinking about right now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Jennifer Taitz the author of the recently published book Stress Resets: how to soothe your body and mind in minutes<\/strong>, refines this process and refers to it as Anchoring. She suggests that the next time your thinking is spinning you in the wrong direction, take a moment to feel the weight of your feet on the floor, grounding, then consider: What am I thinking? What am I feeling in my body right now? What am I doing right now? <\/em>Then, ask yourself: Are my thoughts helping me at this moment?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n