Habitual Worry
Habitual Worry
I'm almost done with session two, and I had an interesting experience last night. I felt sad earlier in the day, but for several hours in the evening, I was able to enjoy myself and be very productive. Right before I went to bed, I found myself wanting to worry about something--anything. It didn't matter what. My mind felt like it had been too long since I'd worried about anything, and it was looking for something to obsess and worry about. Luckily I was able to tell myself that everything was okay and that I had nothing to worry about. It was an interesting realization though, because I found that worrying is a habit for me. Has anyone else experienced anything like this before?
Re: Habitual Worry
I know EXACTLY what you're going through! I just experienced several weeks of really hard work and anxiety-producing responsibilities at my job, during which my general anxiety level went through the roof. Most of the work stress ended over a week ago, but my anxiety is still sky-high. What I was worried about previously has been replaced with thoughts of things far in the future and worry about my anxiety itself. I'm having a really hard time shutting that down. Curious--what have you been doing in order to achieve several hours of enjoyment at a time?
Re: Habitual Worry
The biggest help has been spending time with my sister. We made brownies together for fathers' day and then stayed up late crocheting and watching movies together. Today we went running together, and then danced at a community concert. We joke around a lot and reminisce about childhood. We like writing stories together. I've also cleaned the house more lately and I have been reading a series of books I really enjoy. Whenever I sense myself wanting to worry, I just remind myself that I am okay. If I start worry about the future, I tell myself that I'll deal with it when it comes.
What have you tried? Have you found success with anything?
What have you tried? Have you found success with anything?
Re: Habitual Worry
I'm lucky to have two really supportive people very close by--my neighbor/good friend and sister. They hang out with me, invite me over, etc., but they're both busy with work and their own lives. Not my caretakers, I have to keep reminding myself. Their company has provided relief, as has exercising, household chores, and errands. The past few days have been kind of rough, however, due to how un-busy I am right now. Do you--or anyone else reading this--keep a journal? Does it help? Right now, it just seems scarier to me to actually write down what I'm worrying about. Thoughts?
Re: Habitual Worry
Yes, I do write in a journal. I personally find it very helpful. It forces me to define my fears simply. This helps me realize what is actually bothering me since often I obsessively think about things and make them into a much bigger issue than they need to be. I can understand why it feels scarier to write your fears down, though. I went through that a couple of weeks ago. Even though it doesn't make the fears go away, it is helpful to get them out on paper. It's almost like telling someone without really telling anyone. It helps me to think more clearly and discover other emotions that I may not recognize when I am just obsessing and worrying.
I have also tried doing a gratitude journal. Each day I write down the things I am grateful for. In the past, if something has been bothering me, I have been known to offer prayers of gratitude. Doing so helps me to look for all that is good in my life, instead of focusing on the bad. Years ago, I had the impression come to me that I should look for the good things, so I try to do this when I am burdened with worry.
Do you think having a gratitude journal would be helpful for you? Did you try tracking the things that make you anxious as suggested in session one?
I have also tried doing a gratitude journal. Each day I write down the things I am grateful for. In the past, if something has been bothering me, I have been known to offer prayers of gratitude. Doing so helps me to look for all that is good in my life, instead of focusing on the bad. Years ago, I had the impression come to me that I should look for the good things, so I try to do this when I am burdened with worry.
Do you think having a gratitude journal would be helpful for you? Did you try tracking the things that make you anxious as suggested in session one?
Re: Habitual Worry
First, I want to thank you for engaging in this conversation with me--you're encouraging me to think about stuff I may not want to, but in the end, needs to be dealt with if I want to learn to defeat anxiety/depression. I'll admit that when I first tried this program, I began feeling better so quickly that I just stopped. This past Saturday, I committed to it fully, so I'm on the third day of the first week right now. I just went to the drugstore and bought a journal! Currently empty, but I promise to write my fears and how I'm feeling today as soon as I finish this post and read the week 1 material.
About gratitude...I'm actually one of the lucky people who has always noticed and been thankful for the small things in life. I truly love my friends, family, dog, opportunities I've had, etc. I'm just such a perfectionist and worrier about myself. Yuk. Lots of work ahead, but I'm ready for it.
How are you doing today?
About gratitude...I'm actually one of the lucky people who has always noticed and been thankful for the small things in life. I truly love my friends, family, dog, opportunities I've had, etc. I'm just such a perfectionist and worrier about myself. Yuk. Lots of work ahead, but I'm ready for it.
How are you doing today?
Re: Habitual Worry
Yay!! I am so proud of you for buying a journal! That is awesome. It sounds like you're already making progress and I am happy for you. And I'm glad you are able to find things for which to be grateful. That is a huge blessing. How was your experience with writing in your journal today? Was it as stressful as you expected it to be?
I also want to thank you for having this conversation with me. It's nice to encourage and be encouraged by someone who's going through the same thing! And I like the accountability too. It motivates me to keep going.
I'm doing pretty well today. My best friend told me something today that she thought would really hurt me. Before explaining what it was, she apologized and I started worrying about what on earth she could be talking about. But I didn't panic! I was so pleased, and it turned out that what she said didn't bother me at all. Now we are even better friends, and I'm glad she doesn't have to worry about that anymore.
How was the rest of your day? Have you found other things to keep you busy?
Also, have you ever heard of the book "Loving What Is" by Byron Katie? I read quite a bit of that book before I found this program and it helped me a ton. It helps you figure out how you feel when you think thoughts that upset you, who you would be without those thoughts, and then realize that those thoughts aren't necessarily true. I analyzed tons of my thoughts and found that I became a lot more confident than I had been before. And it helped me be less of a perfectionist. That is something I still struggle with, but this program and that book have helped me move closer to overcoming it. It also helped me to let other people be who they are while I can enjoy being who I am. This book could provide you with plenty of material to write about in your journal. I would highly recommend it.
And again, great job today! You're making progress!
I also want to thank you for having this conversation with me. It's nice to encourage and be encouraged by someone who's going through the same thing! And I like the accountability too. It motivates me to keep going.
I'm doing pretty well today. My best friend told me something today that she thought would really hurt me. Before explaining what it was, she apologized and I started worrying about what on earth she could be talking about. But I didn't panic! I was so pleased, and it turned out that what she said didn't bother me at all. Now we are even better friends, and I'm glad she doesn't have to worry about that anymore.
How was the rest of your day? Have you found other things to keep you busy?
Also, have you ever heard of the book "Loving What Is" by Byron Katie? I read quite a bit of that book before I found this program and it helped me a ton. It helps you figure out how you feel when you think thoughts that upset you, who you would be without those thoughts, and then realize that those thoughts aren't necessarily true. I analyzed tons of my thoughts and found that I became a lot more confident than I had been before. And it helped me be less of a perfectionist. That is something I still struggle with, but this program and that book have helped me move closer to overcoming it. It also helped me to let other people be who they are while I can enjoy being who I am. This book could provide you with plenty of material to write about in your journal. I would highly recommend it.
And again, great job today! You're making progress!
Re: Habitual Worry
I'm so glad to hear you didn't panic when your friend had to warn you about what she was going to tell you--that's awesome, because I know my heart would have sunk into my stomach at that. It sounds from your posts that you're doing really well--do you get anxious at all anymore?
I found the website dedicated to The Work (Byron Katie)--thanks. I have to admit, I just browsed for a while. Same is true for the book "What to Say When You Talk to Yourself." I bought it--suggested in the week 1 list of things to do--and I find it really interesting, but I think I'm a little overwhelmed with all these suggestions taken together. I decided to focus on the program itself, and when I feel more able to, add some other good resources. I've written in my journal three days in a row now (a new record for me, I think!), and it gets a little less scary each day. The first day, it was hard to even form sentences, but today, it was pretty easy to write. Thanks so much for the encouragement to write!
I found the website dedicated to The Work (Byron Katie)--thanks. I have to admit, I just browsed for a while. Same is true for the book "What to Say When You Talk to Yourself." I bought it--suggested in the week 1 list of things to do--and I find it really interesting, but I think I'm a little overwhelmed with all these suggestions taken together. I decided to focus on the program itself, and when I feel more able to, add some other good resources. I've written in my journal three days in a row now (a new record for me, I think!), and it gets a little less scary each day. The first day, it was hard to even form sentences, but today, it was pretty easy to write. Thanks so much for the encouragement to write!
Re: Habitual Worry
I do get a little anxious sometimes, but not nearly as much as I used to. When I do get anxious, it's probably a level three. It hasn't gotten worse than that for the past few weeks. Do you still feel anxious a lot of the time? I've found that telling myself it's just anxiety and then using positive self talk helps a lot. It helps me believe that I really am okay, and that whatever I have started worrying about isn't actually as worrisome as I thought it was.
I'm glad you've been able to write more easily since you started! That is great news. Have you found that it keeps getting easier each day? Do you write just about your worries or other things that have happened in your daily life? I like to write about the good times I have too. It feels great to encourage people, so I make sure to write about those things as well. Do you feel like you've seen a pretty big difference since recommitting to the program?
I'm glad you've been able to write more easily since you started! That is great news. Have you found that it keeps getting easier each day? Do you write just about your worries or other things that have happened in your daily life? I like to write about the good times I have too. It feels great to encourage people, so I make sure to write about those things as well. Do you feel like you've seen a pretty big difference since recommitting to the program?
Re: Habitual Worry
My overall level of anxiety has diminished somewhat, but still intensifies from time to time when a worrisome thought enters my head. I'm still on week 1, so I haven't learned to use a lot of tools yet. What I've been trying to focus on is my behavior DESPITE the way I feel. I had lunch with a colleague today, then later took care of my sister's dog because she was stuck at work. It's important to me that I stay outward-focused in my behavior. I know that FEELING like doing activities will come with time and practice with the program...
Thanks for the suggestion to write about successes and positive things in my journal. I guess I'm trying too hard to be perfect (!) about what goes in my journal--like I can only put certain things in there. I need to use it more as another tool in my belt--a way to get my thoughts (whatever they may be) out on paper.
Thanks for the suggestion to write about successes and positive things in my journal. I guess I'm trying too hard to be perfect (!) about what goes in my journal--like I can only put certain things in there. I need to use it more as another tool in my belt--a way to get my thoughts (whatever they may be) out on paper.