Dealing with Worry - Work-Life Balance Articles

Dealing with Worry
By Sharon Teitelbaum, MA, MCC, Sharon@stcoach.com

Are you a worrier?   Do you fritter away some of your time and energy on a regular basis worrying about things?    By "things" I mean anything from the mundane and trivial to the profound and critical, things you do and don't have control over.

Here is a quick and dirty and highly effective way to manage yourself when it comes to worrying.   Here's what to do.

1. Learn to recognize when you are worrying .   This takes practice.   You may not recognize yourself worrying until you've been at a particular worry for days or weeks.    But whether you catch yourself at it in the first minute or the first month, the most important step is recognizing the pattern.   You can develop your "witness" over time and become more proficient in catching yourself worrying.
   
   
2. Determine if something needs to be done .   Is the worry is a cue to action?  
   
   
   • If you are worried that your toddler will get lead paint poisoning from the lead paint on your windows, there is indeed something you need to do.   You need to get the lead paint removed from your windows.   And keep your child well supervised in the meantime.
     
   • If you don't know if something needs to be done, then find out.   You need to get more information - THAT's what needs to happen.
     
      
3. If there is something that you need to do, do it immediately .  
    
   • Call the state agency that monitors lead paint removal and get the names of lead paint removal contractors, and get going with having the work done.   Call your pediatrician and get advice about how to protect your child during the removal process, and follow up on every detail.
     
     
4. If there is nothing that you need to do, release the worry .   For most people, this takes practice.   Many people have the habit of letting worry run unchecked, and worry is a very greedy energy that will take as much of your attention as you let it.   Some serious boundary-setting with yourself is required. 
   
   
   • If you are worrying that there will be a recession, and have determined that there is nothing that you need to do about it, such as check in with your financial advisor, or work for a particular presidential candidate, then your job is to re-focus your attention somewhere else when you find yourself worrying.
     

If you could use some practical assistance determining whether your worries are cues to action and if so, what exactly you should do, contact me for an initial consultation. We may be able to do some powerful work together. 

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Copyright 2002-2008, by Sharon Teitelbaum, all rights reserved.

For permission to reprint this article or to use it for anything other than your own personal use, contact me.