We all worry at some point. Worry about money, worry about relationships, worry about your job.
The good news: It may get better.
A team of researchers working with Liberty Mutual Insurance released a report that we actually worry less as we get older:
“Older adults worry less than younger ones, and what we worry about varies at different stages in our lives. In fact, older adults taking a retrospective look on their life frequently say their biggest regret is that they spent so much time worrying.”
The report goes on to say that about 38 percent of Americans worry every day (which seems a bit low to us, but maybe we’re just worrywarts). Constant worry can have negative effects on our life, affecting decision-making, sleep patterns and overall happiness. But don’t fret about fretting too much; there are ways to contain your worrying.
The study suggests three routines to adapt to limit your worrying:
1. Schedule a half-hour of your day for “worry time.” Confine your worrying to those 30 minutes. Refuse to worry any other time. You may even find that you eventually skip over your worry time without really noticing.
2. Repeat this mantra: Define the problem, clarify your goals, generate solutions and experiment with solutions.
3. Write it down. The root cause of worrying is uncertainty. Not sure if you’ve got enough cash to make it to the next payday? Write down your expenses. It will help you confront the problem and start to eliminate uncertainty.
Read Feel Good every Tuesday and Thursday online and every month in Gulfshore Life.
