Schedule worry to help you worry less
Scheduling time to worry can be an effective strategy to corral your anxious thoughts. The human brain is wired to look for bad things that can happen. It is an effective defense mechanism, but worrying can become compulsive and disrupt your life. If that is the case for you, talking to one of our caring Texas Anxiety therapists can help.
Our Houston anxiety therapists teach clients to schedule a time to worry. This can be a relief for them when they are not ready to give up worry altogether because they think it helps them in some way.
I recommend scheduling worry for a short period of time, say 15 minutes or so at a designated time during the day. You can even set an alarm to remind you when time is up. Once that time is up, I teach clients to do a visualization technique where they can imagine putting away the worry in a secure container. It is comforting for them to know they can control their world a little bit. People are often skeptical, but when they try it, many admit scheduling worry has been a useful technique.
Worrying for long periods of time can wear people down physically and emotionally. When you worry, your nervous system is doing over time and it's not sustainable. Worry also affects focus and concentration.
If you are struggling with worry, I recommend focusing only on things that are happening in the next hour. You can't control all of eternity, but you can take problems and worries one step at a time. And if you really want to feel less anxious, meditation and mindfulness exercises are the best medicine. A lot of clients have enjoyed using meditation apps to help them learn to let go of stress.
I think a little bit of fantasy and escape can help people detach from the heaviness and stress of our world these days. A good book, or film, or even a virtual role-playing game can do wonders for your mental health. You can sometimes push anxious thoughts away by filling your mind with something more fanciful.
If you are highly anxious, the idea of scheduling worry may sound absurd to you. You worry compulsively. How is it possible to change that? I think it’s important to remember you don’t have to stop all worry, and you don’t have to fix everything in your life all at once. Start by using one technique, and then another. Having a larger repertoire of techniques that you can use to relax, put off worry, or proactively focus on something good can help you chip away at your stress level. Little by little you will start to feel more confident about managing worry. You can do this!
Anxiety treatment can help you worry less
If worry feels out of control for you, I recommend working with a therapist to help you learn tools that will work for you. Knowing when it’s time to ask for help is a sign of strength and wisdom. You can contact a Texas-based therapist today to schedule an appointment or to ask any questions you might have. Wilson Counseling can be reached by phone at 713-565-0922 or contact us online.
OTHER THERAPY SERVICES WE OFFER IN HOUSTON, TX
In addition to Anxiety Treatment, we have other mental health services that we offer at our Houston, TX counseling office. Our services are available for adults, children, and teens. For individuals, we offer Eating Disorder Counseling, School and College Counseling, Autism Therapy, Perinatal and Postpartum Treatment, and Infertility Counseling. As well as Child Therapy, Family Therapy, Parenting Counseling, Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling, Trauma Therapy, PTSD Treatment, EMDR Therapy, and LGBTQ+ Counseling. Our caring therapists also offer Career Counseling and LPC Supervision. All of these services are also available through Online Counseling throughout Texas.