Stop worrying. Let's go for a nature hike

Some people just like to worry. It's not that we like it, but we cannot help ourselves. When our friends tell us 'Don't worry - we continue to do so as we believe that the problem we face will not be resolved. When we cannot stop, we are on edge and uptight most of the time.

What do we worry about?

When we are stressed at work, we are bothered that we cannot finish our tasks at work.
We are worried about our business and the economic downturn
We frightened that we will not be able to keep our job
We are apprehensive that we will lose our jobs as our employer is not doing well, or making losses
We are nervous when we attend interviews
We worry about our finances as the cost of living increases

On the home front, we worry about our relationships - marriage that is not going well

About our parents as they grow old or fall ill

We fret over our children as they grown up
We worry about our future and their future

Why do we worry?

Some people worry more than others, whereas some are just laid back and not have a care. Sometimes, you will observe that one or both your parents or a significant person in your life are also worriers - you may have learnt from their example when you were growing up. Then worrying is a learnt behaviour.

What happens when we worry?

Worrying and ruminating goes hand in hand. When we worry, we think negative thoughts and those negative thoughts cause negative emotions; we feel sad, anxious, fearful, etc,  as we imagine bad scenarios for our situation, we are tensed.  We continue to dwell on the problem and we ruminate on the different situations where we face those problems repeatedly in our minds. Our minds dwell on the thoughts and it affects us in our bodies. We have problems sleeping and resting at night, or we are distracted during the day at school or at work. Some of us get gastritis, or our skin have break out of pimples. There is tension in our shoulders. Some go silent, lost in thought. Some get anxiety attacks, and some regress to being depressed for a long time. This is what we should observe of ourselves. Are we having any of these problems?

What to do to stop worrying:

I read a research that going for nature hikes help. Nature hikes of at least 90 minutes reduces rumination. Read this research from the Nation Academy of Science here. Personally, I find that this is a healthy activity, and gets me breathing deeply; breathing fresh air and getting my mind away from the rumination. After the walk, I realise that I am happier, and feel lighter (also in weight).

We can set aside time to worry - we fix  an allocated hour each day to think about our problems, and then we commit to set aside the thoughts and  focus on other activities.

We can write down our worries. Start a journal and write down  our negative thoughts and emotions during the time set aside for worrying. It makes a difference when we put thoughts and emotions to paper and we soon realise that the matter is repeating itself, and over time this will reduce our rumination as we realise that we are repeating ourselves and torturing ourselves.

If all else fail, seek help.