“Don’t be a worry wart”

I used to hear this when I was little. As a child, I guess I was a worrier! I think I just stopped sharing about my concerns at a certain point. But that didn’t mean I didn’t worry.

Worrying is a way for us to feel like we’re in control. Whether we’re worried about the weather, politics, our jobs, our families, whatever- it doesn’t do us any good.

Kids don’t have a lot of say on what’s going on, and worrying is a step toward asserting some level of control. But then kids get older, and that worry doesn’t really serve the same purpose it used to. It was a coping mechanism that worked for a time.

As an adult, I would say there are many things I don’t worry about that I used to- popularity, having everyone “like” me, whether my clothes/cars/makeup/etc. is “cool.” I know what is important to me, and what I don’t really care about. And even when I catch myself on that hamster wheel of worry, I can take steps to get off it (hopefully, sooner rather than later).

I decide:

1. Is there anything I can do about this, right here and right now?
2. What are those things?
3. If not, it’s time to let it go.

Sometimes I have to let go more than once. But it works.

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