What is the best way to stop worrying so much?

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polishedamethyst	I come from a family of "worriers" and I used to find myself stressing over simple things (possible outcomes, something going wrong, someone who is ill). The best thing I found to do to remedy it is plain and simple distraction. When I find myself getting tore up over something, I clean the house like a madwoman, throw myself into my work, read, walk/play with the dogs, or participate in one (of the many) hobbies I have. Short of seeking professional help (which I would recommend if you feel it is out of control) that's the only thing that I can suggest. Also keep in mind that worrying about something more than is necessary will not effect the outcome of any situation. I wish you luck, and hope you find a remedy that works. Edit: I wasn't going to be the only one to suggest it, but I do agree with a few other answerers when they say partaking of some recreational activities. I am not a high school student either, but a professional. Sparking one up every now and then never killed anyone.

wilster	forget about it

jas	the best way is to stop worrying so much would be, plan everything accordingly, always make sure that it is done properly before u start on other stuffs, note down in a book to keep urself reminded. don ask others to help u with doing important things..

Miguel C	If I were you I would go to sleep or play games.

lauly	i distract my self, find something that u enjoy a gd comedy does me, and yer u gain nothing from worrying, perhaps write down whats on ur mind in notes then 4get bout it and just use a paper to worrie 4 u,

Kabacus	Well we all know that if we are calm we do not worry as much. I have tried using calm tablets which kind of helped me when learning to drive. Try and make you life a happy one. Worrying is only a state of mind and really life is too short....

Samantha D	Don't smoke Pot. OMG, that would probably get you more paranoid... great advice. ;) Through out life i have learned that worrying gets you absolutely no where! It just puts strain on your mind and causes unneeded stress. And stress is unhealthy. Depending on the circumstance of worry, try and relax. If its something avoidable that is causing worry, remove yourself from the situation, or try and fix it immediately. Always go with your gut instinct. If its just general worry about everyday situations, try and tell yourself that things have a way of working themselves out regardless of how much you tend to worry.

jayne.yarwood@btinternet.com	I was just the same. Anything and everything even other peoples worries! Went to CBT and it really helped. The one thing that I really hold on to from that is Mind over Matter- You shouldn't mind cos it really doesn't matter.

Irish Girl	Take it from someone who worried way to much when I was younger and it was only putting stress on my heart and i couldn't take it anymore but now I don't worry as much as I used to in fact I try not to but I'm only human. The reason why I stopped and got help was when I asked God to come into my life and my heart and asked him to help me to not worry. It has given me a good relief and I wil live longer. The best way to stop worrying is to ask God to help you.

alanm_ok	Worrying is caused by there being a problem and it not being resolved, simple as that. A wiser investment of the time spent worrying is to spend that time working out what to do about the problem. People are different, but until you know exactly what the problem is - how big it is / how much it will cost / how long will it take or whatever the measure of the size of the problem - then it remains an unknown and humans fear the unknown. What you have to do is either change the circumstances for your peace of mind, or adjust your peace of mind to accept the circumstances. And it is as simple as that. Measure the problem, write it down so it is right there in front of you, in black and white. Even doing that can cut down on worry, just expressing the problem in recognisable terms, getting it out of your tail-spin thoughts and onto paper. Then decide what CAN be done about it and then WHAT you are going to do about it. If nothing can be done or you are not comfortable about what you would have to do to change the circumstances, then settle your mind to that and forget it. Revisiting it over and over and not finding an answer is.... worrying! If there is an answer and it is palatable to you then you set off on the track of doing what you said and see it through. Then focus on each step, worry about that if you want to, worry about seeing it through because you now need not worry about that immovable barrier that you started off with - you are moving it. I know it sounds very high-brow and power-focus pompous stuff but it works. Worrying does not fix anything, moaning fixes even less. Of course there are those that will simply worry about having nothing to worry about once it is done! Let them to it, that is their nature.

SweetlyEvil	Occupy yourself. I find if I have stuff on my mind, if I sit too long I start to dwell on things, so now I paint dodgy lookin canvasses. (I can't draw...)

Stainless_Star_x	Think 'Whats the worse that can happen?' That used to help me.

melmc1980	Smoke a fatty? Get a hobby?

maskedmarada2000	Think ways of helping the situation you are in. The best way to do that is when you are calm, relaxed, can think clearly and can be assertive. Panicking and worrying what might happen would do nothing to help the situation and will get you nowhere.

REALLY	live for today. there are people worst off than you. shake it off. and surround yourself with supporters. pray for others first then yourself.

kuki	do yoga & come out from jungle of building, walk &breath deeply in open air.pray to god everyday.

~Kitana~	Write what you're worried about on a pad, write down how you may go about solving it or plan to do or who you might ask. It helps me when I can't sleep at night that I've written it down so I can think about it later. It also feels like youve told someone by writting it down. Good luck x

jigadee	to conclude that acknowledging a problem and preparing to deal with it when you get to it, and doing whatever it is you have to do until that time arrives is all that you can do. Prepare. Then go about your business, prepared to execute your plan at the appointed time

WONDER GIRL	Worrying so much is always not good physically and mentally. You wouldnt be able to do anything else and it is hard to be happy when you keep worrying so much about something. Just lay down and relax. Take a deep breathe and let it go slowly. Do that for few times, you might find it usefull. Or if it doesnt you might want to work on the things that make you worry. Hmmm.. not sure that would help you in any way, but hey, good luck!

melon_rose	1. stop worrying about the things you CAN'T control. (studies show that the things we worry most about are the things we can't control -- which, if you think about it while in a calm state of mind, is just plain silly! =) ) when you find yourself becoming anxious, make an active decision to "get logical" about your anxiety. sort through the things you're worried about, into little bins in your head (write them down on paper if it helps) -- and for the ones you can't control, put those aside and DECIDE not to worry about them until you can do something about them. then -- let them go. simply do it. tell yourself you're not allowed to worry about them for right now, but that you'll come back to them later. this can be liberating. 2. regarding the things you CAN control, actively decide to do what you can about them. even if the thing you can do is just something small. doing even just a little bit will help you feel a lot better. this is enormously liberating. and honestly, 9 times out of 10 (or even more often?) the anxiety is MUCH worse than the actual event. EDIT: i heard/read somewhere that worrying is simply an excuse not to have to do anything about the problem. it's like... a way for you to FEEL as though you have control over a situation, without actually doing anything about it/changing it for the better. when i heard this, it totally made sense to me, b/c that's what i was using worry for! and if you look at it that way, worrying is just so ineffective and wasteful! which leads me back to the beginning points of my answer... =) basically the idea is to sort. like you're cleaning out your garage or something. you need definitive piles: the throw-outs vs. the use-able items. translated to: the things you refuse to allow yourself to think about right now, vs. the things you will actually work on. this way, you're actually being productive with your anxiety, rather than simply throwing energy away by clinging to a false sense of control.

im4u	Chinese proverb: A coward dies a thousand deaths a brave man dies but one. Don't die a thousand deaths worrying about anything - it is what it is and remember no matter what it is - this too shall pass as did all the things that you spent so much time worrying about up to this point in your life.

boo	I wish I knew

battybaglady	there is a type of counselling called CBT, cognitive behaviour therapy, where you teach yourself to think differently, for people with anxiety this can work wonders to control it. What it is basically, is to put positive thoughts into your head whenever you have negative or anxious ones. So say you were worried that you had left the door open at home when you got to work. this thought wouldnt leave your mind, so instead of thinking did I didI? you would replace the thoughts wth...have I ever done it before? no then the chances of my doing it today are slim, the reason I dont remember is because I do it automatically, therefore I dont need to make a concious effort to remember. I would more likely rememeber if I did leave the door open, and as I dont remember leaving it open the chances are I didnt. You appply the replacement rational thoughts whenever you feel yourself becoming irrational anxious, ie worrying. The more you apply the change of thought, the more you will automatically go that way rather than worry, your brain follows the path that it is best known to, it forms links and each time you worry you enforce the link to the anxiety. By changing its direction to the positive you form stronger links to positive thoughts and so eventually these will be the 'normal' route for your mind to take. If worrying is a big stress to you, and it is to alot of people then your gp can refer you for CBT as this is normally the preffered method rather than medication.

rainy-h	You need to get a hold on your mind rather than letting it run away with you. Try learning yoga, meditation or tai chi, whichever appeals to you or is nearby, and learn how to slow yourself down, to observe your mind, and train yourself to take things a bit easier and approach things calmly. Learn how to clear your head when you need to and also to use your head when you need to, but in a focused way! It might take some time and some practice, but it's really worth sticking at in the long run. update: and like battybaglady up there said, CBT is also really good for dealing with day to day stuff, and understanding the way your mind is taking you.

:(	I worry all the time, even for a small thing... It ruins my life... If you know the answer, let me know too...

Philip Kiriakis	Intentionally induce relaxation.

Stewy	Put things into perspective...believe me, things could be worse. This is from a guy that went through 2 divorces; was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown; crashed my bike and broke my neck,back,crushed left arm, knee, and foot; filed bankruptcy; and is currently on government assistance after having a job that paid 100k a year. "Don't sweat the petty things...pet the sweaty things".

makulit	indulge in things that can make you busy. like watching tv or listening to music.

thegenius	get yourself a hobby, help take your mind off things. I paint stuff.

london lady	I have that problem, really bad. The only thing that has ever really helped me, and it dont work too much all the time, is that, WORRYING DONT ACTUALLY PREVENT ANYTHING. It dont make the problem go away, worse or better,so just when it comes to it, BE PREPARED. People close to me suggest i try and take a back seat and relax sometimes, but its just too hard, that is the only peice of advise that has even remotely worked for me, my mum gave me that one. xx hope it helps xx