Calming Worry

Have you ever noticed that worry is a lot like junk mail? It just keeps arriving, envelope after envelope. "What if I said the wrong thing? What if I can't pay the bill? What if something's wrong with me?" All day long, and we feel like we have to open up every single one of them the moment it shows up. Instead of opening up every worry the second it arrives, you're going to give it a place to go. I want you to pick a specific time, once a day, maybe like 4:30, and a specific spot. Maybe it's your patio or your kitchen table. Now, that's your worry appointment. That's when the mailbox gets checked. And when a worry drops during the day, I don't want you to ignore it. I want you to write it down. Maybe one or two words, like "budget, health, that conversation with mom." That simple act of writing it down tells your brain it's been heard. And your brain can let go of the urgency. Now, when 4:30 arrives, I want you to sit down for five or 10 minutes and take a look at the pile. You'll find that some of the envelopes don't even feel worth opening anymore. The urgency has passed. But for the ones that still matter, I want you to give them your full attention. Now, when the time is up, the mailbox is closed. Just because a worry gets delivered, it doesn't mean you have to sign for it right away. You are the one in charge of the schedule....