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Telling someone to stop worrying is like telling them to stop breathing, especially in 2020.

We’ve had a lot thrown at us this year, so many might find themselves in a near-constant state of borderline panic.

The brain, after all, is designed to react negatively to uncertainty.

It’s a reasonable state to be in, so try not to beat yourself up about it.

That said, it’s not a great way to live, so some tools and techniques that could introduce a little more chill into your life are worth looking into.

According to the BBC, the first step to zen is understanding where your worries and anxieties are coming from.

“We’re wired to worry,” says Margaret Cochran, a psychotherapist based in San Jose, California.

“It’s a survival mechanism; our brains have not evolved much over the last 10,000 years, and we still need to remember where the tiger is more than we need to remember where the blueberries are.”

This can have physical ramifications. Your immune system can take a dive if you’re super stressed, so you need to keep on top of things.

Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.

Try not to focus too hard on the future or the past

When you’re starting to worry, you could fall into a cycle of mulling over the negatives in your mind. If you’re trying to problem solve in the past or predict all possible outcomes in the future (worst-case scenarios), you’re only going to ramp up the stress.

Keep busy in the short-term

The best way to keep yourself tuned into the present is to keep busy. Seek out absorbing activities that require all of your concentration, which the BBC says can include painting, building a puzzle, or a physical activity like running.

Personally, I find washing the dishes while listening to a podcast generally does the trick.

Try to up your optimism

I know it’s easier said than done – you can’t just will yourself to be positive – but it’s worth a try.

I’ll let an expert handle this one.

You can start fostering optimism by altering your self-talk, says Cochran. “If we’re constantly saying to ourselves, ‘Ugh, this is awful, I don’t know how I’ll get through this, everything I know and cherish is over’, that’s what we’ll have. If you talk to yourself like, ‘OK, I don’t know how this will go, but one way or another I’ll find a way through’, you can manifest a positive mentality.”

And, yes, it is okay to talk to yourself. You aren’t losing your mind.

Try not to reason away uncertainty

If you recognise that you’re having a difficult time dealing with the uncertainty of it all, don’t try and reason it all away.

For example, if you’re concerned about a second wave of COVID-19, don’t try and make yourself feel better by looking at the current case numbers. While you might find a temporary moment of calm, it isn’t a sustainable strategy.

Embrace the unknown

The best way to handle uncertainty about the future is to embrace it. Sit with it instead of trying to fix it.

One day at a time, friends.

One day at a time.

[source:bbc]