Thoughts on Yoga
How to Stop Worrying
2007-03-13
Worry is always about the future. A worry thought is a fantasy about something bad happening. One way to combat worry is to notice your habit of worry.
At least some of the time, thinking about the future will bring up anxiety. Worry is the mind's way of trying to manage anxiety. We can distract ourselves from bad feelings and instead stay in our heads with our obsessive worry thoughts.
Worry seems rational when you're doing it. "Shouldn't I think things through from all angles? Shouldn't I plan for bad things and devise ways to protect myself and loved ones?"
Worrying is an emotional holding pattern of negativity that never resolves itself. No amount of worry can bring peace. It makes us sick in our bodies and minds. It saps our ability to enjoy what we have right now. You can waste your whole life in worry.
Instead of trying to combat your worry, instead be clear about fact that you are thinking about the future. Over the coming weeks and months, notice how much of your time is taken up with thinking about the future. Learn to focus your mind on the present moment to break the habit of future-thinking.
Worry is a mental habit that you have learned but it can be unlearned. Start by setting aside a few minutes a day to not worry. If only for five minutes, whenever an anxious thought about the future comes up, just put it aside. Start with a few minutes and build up to an hour, and then half a day and so on.
Use yoga to help break the worry habit. Yoga will help you to feel more comfortable focusing on the present moment. Yoga soothes the nervous system and breaks the stress/worry cycle. Most importantly, long-term yoga practice will replace your worry with self confidence.