...for every time I've worried, I'd have enough to pay my rent this month

Worrying is something each of us do. It's what we do when we are anxious or concerned about issues we face, whether real or imagined. Most of the time, we tend to worry about issues that are personal to us, such as our finances, our health, or relationships. This is usually more intense that what we experience when we worry about broader issues, like the state of our government or the environment.

In small amounts, this anxiety can be beneficial to us. For example, if nobody was anxious about getting into a car wreck, why would we bother to put on our seat belts? This toned-down version of anxiety and worry is what causes us to be cautious, leading us to take precautions and avoid risky behaviors.

However, when we amplify this and focus on it, we often over-correct and become intensely aware of it. Going back to the car accident example, someone might be so focused on their anxiety about getting into a car wreck, they may refuse to drive, or even ride in a car. This is the worry that becomes dangerous to us, and can severely affect us both mentally and, in some cases, physically.

For me personally, I tend to worry quite often. It can be about the smallest little things...things I have no business worrying about in the first place. For a long time, I had no real way to regulate that worry, and it would very often interfere with my daily life, and in some cases, even interfere with finding a solution to my worries.

Thankfully, I received some very wise advice about how to deal with worry. The trick for me was to try putting things in perspective, and then see if it's something I should really be fretting about.

Let's try an exercise, shall we? I want you to visualize something you're worried about right now.

Have you got it? Good!

Now, I want you to imagine yourself in six months. Is what you're worried about going to still be affecting you then?

What about a year from now?

Five years?

Ten?

Now, I want you to think back. What were you worrying about six months ago? Is it still a factor?

What about a year ago? Is that issue even on your radar?

Five years ago?

When someone went through this exercise with me, it reminded me that I used to write often in a personal journal back in middle school. As some of you may remember, middle school is filled with nothing but drama and worry about the inner workings of your school's social dynamics. Sure enough, when I turned back to see what I had written, it was filled with the cares and troubles of a kid who (thankfully) has matured enough to laugh. The things that I had spent so much time in a state of anxiety over were things that I had entirely forgotten even happened.

I honestly laughed when I realized how much energy I had wasted being anxious about things that, ultimately, have had very little effect on me. It showed me that as much as some issue may seem monumental to you, given time, it really is going to be just a drop in the pond.

An old Irish saying is I think the best way to end this post:

So what are you worrying about? Go out and relax! Enjoy your life! We only get the one...