Hello, I planned to start blogging ages ago, but life got in the way!
Breaking Free from the Trap of Worry
I was brought up in a small village in the Cotswolds by a mother who worried. She worried a lot even when things were fine and there was nothing to worry about. The worry there was that she had to be alert, for something dreadful that might happen.
Of course, this wasn’t a deliberate attempt to bring up a generation of young worriers. Worrying came from the best of intentions. Mainly an attempt to protect us and look out for trouble, to be ready.
There seems to be a universal confusion that worrying equals love this is not true at all. It’s almost as if people have colluded together to promote this lie. Some worry is fine, it’s when it takes over and gets out of control, becoming anxiety and stress and fear that something needs to change.
With this background of worry no wonder school could be scary at times. I was okay through Art College, which I really loved! When I got a job working for a Childrenswear company this is where worry really got going! My boss didn’t like me, well that’s what I thought at the time. Added to that I felt threatened by people I worked with, were they better than me? Then there were my parents, they were separated and divorced. I did a lot of worrying about both of them, were they both okay on their own. Could I do something to help, should I do something to help? Was there something I needed to worry about on their behalf?
Then there was the worry about money, which was constant and very scary. When I was small I was a typical child, wanting things when we went shopping. My mother told me that she couldn’t afford to buy me anything. Being a child with a simple brain, I assumed that we were lucky to be able to eat, as we were so poor. Over the years money worries seeped into my unconscious brain and grew there.
As you can imagine all this worry was very stressful and totally exhausting. Eventually this lead me to go into therapy in my early 30s, when I was living in London I found this process helpful, but it didn’t resolve everything for me. It didn’t seem to deal properly with excessive worrying. At about that time I had also got together with various like-minded friends, we were looking for something that could help with worrying thoughts that bothered us. I discovered books by Louise Hay also Byron Katie’s The Work. These being just two of many methods I was experimenting with at the time. Then through a friend came across the Sedona Method, a way of ridding yourself of unwanted feelings – this was very useful. Since then I have used the Sedona Method when needed, on my own, with other people and by going to Sedona Method retreats.
Tips to help cope with worry
The Sedona Method This is a very simple method of allowing the feeling of worry, let it be here, it isn’t real and can’t hurt you. When you allow or welcome the feeling of worry it can melt away.
Meditation Regular meditation can be really therapeutic, as well as anxiety and stress, meditation can help with insomnia. You don’t have to do this for a long time, just 5 or 10 minutes a day can really help. You could even join a class either online or near you, if you would prefer to meditate in a group.
Paul McKenna Is renowned for his expertise in guiding people towards overcoming worry and stress, with powerful techniques and insights. Through his programs and resources, he empowers people to take control of their thoughts and emotions.
Yoga This is a form of stretching and gentle exercise which can be really calming effect on both mind and body. There are lots of yoga classes online, or you may find a local class near you, regular yoga can help you.
Regular Exercise This also can also really help. Moving your body decreases muscle tension, the very act of walking or running or any other sort of exercise diverts your mind away from the worrying thoughts. Increasing your heart rate actually changes the body’s chemistry, making you feel good. You could join a gym or local or online class.
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