Put Those Worries Away!

So, sometimes I get a little stressed, like everyone. Normal, natural, but not so much fun. One of the things that stresses me out is when I worry. Luckily there are things to do to deal with worries, including this thing called a worry box.


What is a worry box?
I mentioned it in 10 Free Ways to Love Your Day and people wanted to know. A worry box is basically a place to put your worries. You write them down or (record them in another way) and let them be. This is perfect for when you just can't stop imagining bad outcomes and stressing. Some people use a physical box, others use a journal, I like a free android app that I found on Google Play. Whatever you use, it's a great way to let go of stress.

How a worry box?
I prefer to call it a worry holder, because it can be any format. Basically, you take a journal, a shoebox, a word document, whatever your heart desired and specify it as the place to put your troubles. When you're thinking about them and you need to get away, write them down and leave them in this place. You know you won't risk forgetting about them if they're important and you can always come back to them later. You don't need to hold it in your mind anymore. You can give yourself permission to carry on.

The app I have asks me a few questions which I find very helpful and you can create your own version of this in your worry holder.
1. What's the worry?
2. How would you describe it?
3. Is it important?
4. Is it controllable?

This is great because it allows for a few ways to deal with the worry.

• If it's not important, then why stress?
• If it is, are there strategies to deal with it?  If yes, great-what are they? If you give yourself a few minutes to identify potential solutions, you may come up with a plan to solve your problem.
• If there's nothing you can do about an important worry, it may help to use coping statements. You can create your own statements of peace to help ease the worst-case scenario thinking and the app also offers some.

I find this technique very helpful. Give it a try, you might just love it.

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BTW
One thing you don't have to worry about is next week's Easter meal. If you celebrate the holiday, I've got a few tips that might help you out. Check out these:

• Rething Holiday Dinner
• Share The Work and
• Recipes and tips for eating well,with a vegetarian bent.

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Have you got any surefire strategies for dealing with worry? Share them; it's nice. If you like what you read here, share it, cause that's also nice. You can also subscribe or connect me on  Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter.

Live well, 
Charlotte