{"id":51793,"date":"2020-02-12T10:32:27","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T15:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/?p=51793"},"modified":"2020-09-21T17:13:53","modified_gmt":"2020-09-21T21:13:53","slug":"feeling-worried-four-tips-to-help-you-not-worry-so-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/healthy-tomorrows\/feeling-worried-four-tips-to-help-you-not-worry-so-much\/","title":{"rendered":"Feeling worried? Four tips to help you not worry so much"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Imagine this: Your shift at work is (finally) over. You want\nto relax at home or spend time with your family or friends but worry has you\nstuck in negative thoughts. Maybe you are worried about how you\u2019re going to pay\nyour bills on time. You might be worrying about whether or not you will have\nenough time after work to go to your child\u2019s school play. Or instead, you might\nbe thinking about upcoming work deadlines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have all experienced worry. Many of us are facing real challenges\nin our lives \u2013 so it makes sense that we worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorry is a part of life,\u201d explained Amanda Pontefract, Psychology\nProfessional Leader at The Ottawa Hospital. \u201cIt is not about whether or not we\nworry \u2013 it\u2019s about how much we worry.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does worry feel\nlike?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorry can feel like there is a broken record player in our\nhead,\u201d explained Jessica Campoli, psychology resident at The Ottawa Hospital. \u201cIt\nplays our worry over and over again. The more often the record plays, the\nbigger the worry grows.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we worry too much, we may feel trapped by unhelpful\nthoughts that can leave us feeling bad and powerless. We may think that there\nis nothing we can do about worry, but is this really true? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jessica<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What can I do to\nworry less?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of Campoli\u2019s tips to help you manage worry so\nthat you can approach problems more effectively:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Breathe deeply! <\/strong>Full, deep breaths help your brain process information better. When you breathe deeply, you lower the stress response in your body. It also puts you in a problem-solving mindset. Even spending one to two minutes focusing on deep breaths can make a big difference in how you feel and think about your worries.<\/li>
  2. Write it down and determine your options.<\/strong> Writing down what is worrying you and coming up with a few options can help you focus on the here-and-now and what you can control. This helps you to assess the problem realistically. So, take some time to list all possible solutions and select the best course of action. <\/li>
  3. Let go of what you can\u2019t control. <\/strong>Worrying can trick you into thinking that you have complete control and certainty in life. Is there some uncontrollable part of your worry of which you can let go? When you practice to let go of the things that you cannot control, you are deciding to spend your time and energy on the parts of your life you can control. <\/li>
  4. Take a break from worry. <\/strong>Spending as few as 30 seconds a day focusing on something positive can make a noticeable difference in how you feel. Does the worry seem as big as you first thought? If it does, is it time to consider a new approach? When you take a break from worry, you can often come back to it with a fresh perspective. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    When to get help for\nworry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWorry can take up a lot of time, energy and attention,\u201d\nsaid Dr. Pontefract. \u201cIf worry is interfering with your health, relationships,\nwork, or keeping you up at night, it may be time to seek professional support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Employees at The Ottawa Hospital can visit the\nhealth wellness page on myHospital<\/a> for resources. There are also\nmany different local organizations that can help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n