7 Ways to Turn Worry into Excitement about Getting Things Done
Everybody worries sometimes, perhaps more so now since we’ve all been dealing with the effects of Covid-19. You might be thinking about your relationship or a situation at work – many are struggling with working from home these days. You might be worried about your health, or that of someone else, or whether or not you’re going to have enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month.
Whatever the case, worry happens whether we intend for it to or not. This becomes a problem, though, when worry starts to take over your life. The more you focus on the problem, the more your worry-state will become the driver of your life, which can lead to both emotional and physical problems.
So, what is the goal? Is stopping worrying enough to put you on an even keel, or are you hoping for something…more? What if, instead of worrying, you could become excited, then use this excitement to get more done? It sounds counter-intuitive but, strangely, this can work if you give this a chance and develop strategies to instill this excitement and drive to replace your focus.
Let’s look at seven ways to achieve this:
Be Here Now
Worry has a way of trapping you anywhere but here. Either you’re worried about something which happened long ago, or you’re caught up in fretting about something still to come. Neither is going to get you anywhere. To stop worrying, you need to focus on the here and now and what you can control. What interests you right now? Mindfulness is the way to be present in the moment so your mind doesn’t wander elsewhere.
Realize That Worry Gets You Nowhere Fast
Worrying stops you cold. In fact, most procrastination is caused by worrying, usually about the outcome, or no being liked or successful. With this in mind, why are you wasting your time and energy on worrying? How will you know that your anticipated outcome will come true until it does? Sometimes just recognizing what a waste worry is, will be enough to derail it altogether. Especially when you have better places to be.
Throw Yourself into Something Interesting
Worry needs your attention to survive. Get busy doing something engaging to your mind, and you’ll find you forget all about worrying. Listen to music, dance, read a book, write, garden, build something – you get the idea.. immersing yourself in a pleasurable activities could be just what you need to alter your thoughts and the endorphins swirling.
Rewrite the Script
If you’re seeing everything blow up around you, maybe you should try focusing on the perceived disaster. Ask yourself how you could do things to handle the situation were it to happen. Once you have it, practice the scenario in your mind. Picture yourself handling matters. Be solution-focused – the brain loves to solve problems; when you only focus on the problem it gets bigger so alter this pattern. Come up with solutions to calm the brain. Taking some action will put you in control.
Practice
Worried about something you need to do later? Having a dress rehearsal in your head will make things go smoother and keep worry at bay entirely. Visualizations are powerful; they worked for Michael Phelps in winning his 7 gold medals – they will work for you, too.
Ask
Challenge your worry. Dig in and get to the roots until you understand your worry intimately. Ask yourself where the negativity came from. Peel back the layers until you get down into the heart of the matter. It’s our unconscious thoughts that are the issue when we worry or predict the future which you may not even be aware. Don’t be afraid to sit in any negative emotions to uncover the root so you can let (finally) let them go.
Try a New Path
In the end, worry can become very attached to the familiar. Challenge yourself. Find a different way to do things. Explore where this path takes you. If the current or old way didn’t work, what new ways can you take to get different results. Reach out and get some help – new eyes can give you a different perspective while being a source of support.
The main point in all of these is to enjoy the journey. This is where you find the excitement and enthusiasm, which leads to getting things done. The rest is all momentum and a whole lot of brand-new accomplishments just waiting to happen. Use that visualization to see yourself coming out on the other side – a winner!
If you feel stuck, reach out to stop the struggle. We’d love to support you and your team in dealing with the ‘new way’ of working to increase performance, engagement, and profits.