Worry

"Worry is like a rocking chair," the old saying goes, "It keeps you busy, but you don't get anywhere."

Thomas Brokovec, a noted authority in worry research, said that 30 percent of us are non-worriers. 15 percent of us are chronic worriers. Everybody else fits somewhere between the two extremes.

This means that 70 percent of us worry at least some of the time (not to mention the "macho's" in the 30 percent who just won't admit it.)

Chances are, you worry too much. Before you even know what's happening, a tidal wave of anxiety crashes upon you, and it takes ever ounce of energy you can muster just to keep your head above water.

When floods of worry enter your mind, what can you do about it? Here are some ideas.

1. Face the Issue: Instead of being overwhelmed by the problem look for possible solutions. rite down your options and examine them objectively. Horace said, "Reason and sense remove anxiety, not villas that look out upon the sea."

2. Do What You Can: Just think of all the energy that is drained by worrying about things we cannot control. "Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind," stated Arthur Somers Roche, "If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained." Forget the things you cannot change, focus on the things you can do, and then move into action.

3. Try Prayer Power: If a worry is too small to be made into a prayer, then it is too little to be a burden. There is nothing that lifts the heavy soul more than time spent with God. Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrows. Live one day at a time."

Shelley Duvall sums it up like this:

"I think that life is an adventure. A few problems arise every day. You're never going to be completely problem-free. In life you're always going to be working on something, trying to overcome something, trying to learn something, or achieve something. You might as well enjoy the process."