Shavon D. Bethel said why worrying is a waste of time and energy
SHAVON DION BETHEL recently wrote, with everything that’s going on in this world and around us, many people worry about various things that life brings us, personal matters, money, politics, family problems, and so much more. Although many people have a hard time getting their worries out of their heads, experts warned us that worrying is a waste of time and energy. Here is a few reasons I came up with: Excessive worry steals us away from the moment and robs us of the opportunity to fully appreciate and engage with our present. While it’s often normal to experience some degree of worry about day to day things, worry can also become problematic. At its core, worry is emotional tension, often about something that either might or will happen in the future or something that has already happened.
In either instance, excessive worry steals us away from the moment and has an amazing ability to rob us of our ability to fully engage with our present. Worrying about a disagreement that you had with a friend or spouse a week ago or hovering about an exam that isn’t for another two months pulls us away from what is happening right now, whether it’s work, family time, or me time. Put another way, worrying too much is a lot like trying to navigate a crowded airport with large luggage's; they are heavy and makes everything much more cumbersome because we have to take it into consideration when going through lines, elevators, escalators, or airports. Simply put, it’s exhausting. There are lots of excellent skills that can be helpful in reducing anxiety.
Mindfulness is perhaps one of my favorites, not only because it’s effective and has a slew of wonderful benefits, but because it can be practiced even when we’re not anxious to enhance already positive experiences. Mindfulness is the act of purposefully attending to the present situation, taking in all the little details around us, and acknowledging our situation and our reactions for whatever they are in a way that is nonjudgmental. Often, we’re too hard on ourselves and beat ourselves up for being human, sometimes we can even become frustrated because our anxiety is difficult to manage! While that’s understandable, the effect is that we’re now battling anxiety as well as frustration. We’ve added one more bag to our cart at the airport, which isn’t helpful when we’re trying to feel better.
Mindfulness, by contrast, is a lot like dropping our bags for a minute so we can read our ticket and reevaluate ourselves to our surroundings. I personally found out that going out for a walk and listening to a audio book or perhaps even some slow instrumental music calms the nerves and ultimately soothes the mind. We have no control over tomorrow. In fact, tomorrow was never promised. Live for today and enjoy the best of what life has to offer.