Learning to See Worry for What It Is

These are steps I learned from How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie that have helped me immensely in moments of worry and anxiety:

1. Define the problem clearly—what exactly is bothering me?

2. Imagine the worst-case scenario

3. Accept the best I can the worst possible situation

4. Meditate

5. Brainstorm solutions to mitigate the worst-case scenario

6. Prepare for the worst, but take action toward a better outcome

I usually don’t make it to the final step because slowing down and clearly defining what is bothering me is often enough to break the cycle. Without that clarity, my mind tends to run wild with irrational fears and anxieties that have little to do with reality.

I’ve found that taking a moment to meditate helps me slow down and put things into perspective. It gives me room to think rationally about a problem. And more often than not, I realize the thing I was worried about was never as big as it felt.

Food for Thought

I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.

—Mark Twain