How to Fight Worry
By: Dan Seale
“Don’t worry, be happy.”
"Hakuna-matata."
“Just relax.”
Wouldn’t it be nice if it were that easy to stop worrying? Therapist, Sissy Goff, says, “Worry gets worse if you don’t fight it.”
How can we fight worry?
My friend and mentor Tim Witmer gives us practical suggestions to fight worry in his article, Don’t Worry About It.
Here is an excerpt:
“Don’t worry about anything? Are you crazy? What about COVID-19? What about my job? What about my aged parents? What about my kids stuck at home? What about my portfolio? Indeed, right now there’s a lot we can be tempted to worry about, but Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit teaches, “do not be anxious about anything.” If you’re like me you are suspicious of absolute statements. For example, don’t we cringe when told, “You’re always late,” or “You never listen to me.” But here Paul clearly gives a comprehensive directive: “Do not be anxious about anything.” Surely Paul meant something other than the kind of anxiety that I am experiencing, right?
No, what you and I are worried about today is exactly what he is talking about.
Lots of people suggest that to overcome worry we merely need to “believe in ourselves.” That sounds noble but the persistence of these looming worries demonstrates my frailty and my inability to handle a crisis in my own strength. To say that I should be able to handle a high-pressure situation by myself when I am clearly not handling it well merely makes me worry that much more.
RESOURCES
If you want more help, Tim has written a book entitled Mindscape: What to think about instead of worrying.
Resources from Sissy Goff:
Follow her on Instagram
Podcast Raising Boys and Girls
Braver, Stronger, Smarter – a workbook