How to Teach Yourself to Stop Worrying Too Much

#3 PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness practices, especially mindfulness meditation, teach acceptance as a core tenet. Acceptance is often misunderstood as passively accepting problems that arise instead of solving them. This is entirely untrue, says Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). He adds this helpful insight:

“Acceptance doesn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, mean passive resignation. Quite the opposite. It takes a huge amount of fortitude and motivation to accept what is – especially when you don’t like it – and then work wisely and effectively as best you possibly can with the circumstances you find yourself in…”

#4 KEEP YOUR MIND AND HANDS BUSY

You might have heard the proverb, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Regardless of your religious beliefs, there’s some truth to this proverb. We experience worry (and anxiety) much more often when focused on our inner world as opposed to something external (say, work or a hobby.) Our mind does the same thing when we’re bored or ruminating on something other than what we’re doing.

According to research from the Medical Research Council in England, staying occupied can even help those who have experienced a traumatic event. Bob Hirshon, a researcher at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), says, “Keeping your hands and mind busy interferes with storing and encoding visual images.” Hirshon was most likely referring to flashbacks to traumatic events.

#5 BREAK A SWEAT

Regular exercise should be on everyone’s “stress-busting” list. We’ve said it before, and we’ll repeat it: exercise is perhaps the best thing that you can do to improve your health. Per Harvard University:

“Regular exercise changes the brain to improve memory [and] thinking skills. There are plenty of good reasons to be physically active [including] reducing the odds of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes …”

When it comes to beating stress and worry, exercise again scores some major points. Neuroscience has discovered that exercise boosts brain chemicals associated with attention, drive, happiness, and a sense of wellbeing.