It used to be that when we said we were worried to death we meant we were working ourselves to death.

Now the meaning is becoming broader – we’re still getting tired but more from adding worry on top of worry.

The facts are that what we are actually worried about will never happen and on the chance that it does, it doesn’t happen the way we fear.  Still, you can’t negotiate with worry.  It simply breeds more.

One of the best ways is to schedule a worry appointment for a half an hour a week – you pick the day and time.  Every worry that comes up at another time is pushed off until then.  Refuse to get anxious about it.  Tuesday from 8:30-9pm sounds good.

The reason it works so well is because often delaying our anxiety helps provide clarity and even when it doesn’t, it adds discipline to put a stop/loss on worry.

One of the leading experts in cognitive therapy Dr. Robert Leahy says:  “Schedule your worry time. Don’t let it schedule you.”

Feel free to share.