6 Ways to Stop Worrying

I couldn't get myself to stop. I'd had an MRI before but this time the fear of panic setting in loomed larger than life in my mind. Here's the way it turned out...

(Photo: Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Sir Peter Paul Rubens, 1614/1616, public domain)

I asked for it. I knew I’d dread every minute of it, but yet I still asked for an MRI. It’s not like I haven’t done this before - twice to be exact. Why the worry? Because I’m claustrophobic.

Last time I tricked myself into relaxing by counting the number of songs they played through the headphones. Each song is approximately three minutes each. So, I counted down the time that way. It helped me focus. Calmed my nerves. Gave me something to concentrate on.

Yet, for days I imagined myself sliding into the tight space of that hole, knowing I’d fight waves of panic looming like circling lions ready to pounce on my psyche.

I struggled with whether I should ask the doctor for a sedative to calm my nerves, but decided I wasn’t that much of a coward. I was stronger than that, I told myself. It was just a matter of setting my mind to it.

Then Came the Surprise

Finally, they took me in from the waiting room. And as I signed the permission slip I asked the tech, “So, how long will I be in there?”

“Oh, not long. Doing a knee is actually the fastest procedure — you’ll only be in there for 12 minutes.”

Relief! Then she added the words that made me want to lean over and kiss her!

“And you won’t go all the way in. Your head will still be outside the machine.”

Hallelujah! God had answered my prayers! Piece of cake. Easy-peasy. Why had I worried so much about what turned out to be a painless procedure?

I Made it Worse Than It Had to Be

My honey told me, “90% of what you worry about never happens.” He’s such a smart man.

But there’s a payoff to worrying.

“Think about it, if we believe that worrying about something will prevent that bad thing from taking place and 90% of what we worry about never happens, there is strong reinforcement for continuing to worry. Worriers then develop a very strong belief that worrying is necessary to prevent bad things from happening.”

Also, since I had imagined the worst, it got me psychologically prepared for what I thought I would face. I could cope with it in my mind first, figuring out how to react if or when the swells of panic would arise.

Ho ho, but there’s also a negative side to worry. I built this MRI adventure up into something larger than life. I grew more anxious than I needed to be. And I let it creep into my mind repeatedly over the course of days before the event. I almost called and cancelled the appointment.

The physical impacts of that kind of worry couldn’t have been good for me. The “fight or flight” response triggers the release of cortisol, a stress hormone. And those hormones can cause reactions like dizziness, fatigue, headaches, difficulty concentrating, sweating, trembling and twitching. Basically, you turn into one hot mess. No wonder I couldn’t get much writing done the week before my appointment.

By now you’re probably thinking, “Goodness gracious girl, we thought you were a confident, courageous professional! You’ve survived a wildfire, being a single parent of three, self-employed, divorced and all kinds of other crazy experiences. Pull yourself together!”

Six Ways to Stop Worrying

There are ways to minimize or eliminate the habit of worrying. Granted, we all have legitimate concerns in life: health, the safety of loved ones, financial stability, a treasured relationship. But spending hours and brain cells fearing the worst is not a good use of our time or energy.

Here’s how to stop worrying:

1. Build a new storyline in your mind about the outcome. Watch yourself going through the experience and “seeing” a positive outcome on the other side.

2. Focus on the steps involved, the preparation, the process of getting to a constructive outcome rather than the “what if” that looms large in your mind.

3. If you’ve faced this challenge in the past (like I did having had multiple MRI’s) revisit what you did right the last time, knowing that you have the ability to repeat that experience.

4. Watch out for negative self-talk that could fuel an underlying fear about your abilities and self-worth. Coach yourself and say the words out loud: “I CAN do this! I’m smart enough. I’m capable enough.” There’s a scientific benefit to hearing yourself repeat a positive affirmation.

5. Read encouraging words. Pick up your daily devotional, the Bible or a motivational book focused on success. Read aloud for the reasons I mentioned above.

6. And if you must worry, set an egg-timer and limit yourself to ten minutes. Then switch the script and fill your mind with positive outcomes. Your body will thank you for it.

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In summary, we all worry to some extent, but we’re also much better off using our time and creative juices to focus on success strategies. Our brains are powerful problem-solving creations that work behind-the-scenes when we’re walking, showering and sleeping. Allow it the space to do its work. Allow it to crowd out the negative.

Hopefully I won’t need another MRI (fingers crossed) for many moons to come. But now, at least, I have some tools to limit my anxiety. No doubt they’ll come in handy for that next public presentation I have on the books. People say public speaking is next to death in the fear category!

Question: So what are you worried about? Care to tell us in the comments? Maybe we can help.