Worry Time

As we all work to find a new normal, I've heard from several people who feel overwhelmed. Their mind is racing with so many unknowns and what-ifs, and they can't turn it off. If your head is spinning and you're working on scheduling meetings, homeschool time and hopefully trying to squeeze in designated time for self care and exercise, consider adding one more thing to your calendar: worry time. Maybe that sounds crazy, but research shows that setting aside a specific time each day and sticking with it for seven consecutive days can greatly reduce anxiety and insomnia. So how do you do it? Sit at a desk or in a comfortable spot, grab a pen and paper, and let yourself worry. You can journal, make lists, or just let yourself feel the anxiety coming up. When your timer goes off, take a few cleansing breaths, exhaling your worries, being conscious to also let go tension in your body, and finish with a self affirmation. Stick to your time scheduled, don't skip it and see what happens in a weeks time. Now here comes the hard part, when worries come up outside of that designated time you will tell yourself to stop. You can say it out loud, or use a few cleansing breaths to release it, and have a strategy for how to respond when worries arise.