A little bit of worry is healthy. It’s a whole lot better than complacency. It keeps us thinking ahead and helps us plan better to prepare and work around what could transpire. However, when you worry too much, you make your life and those around you miserable. You burden yourself with a whole lot of unnecessary stress.
A day of worry is far more exhausting than a week of work, which is why so many people complain of fatigue at this time of the year.
Worry is what keeps many business owners awake at night. When the worry is unrelenting, it causes anxiety, fear, and can be debilitating and drain you of both physical and emotional energy. And as a business leader, it rubs off on your team.
For many people, worrying has become a habit. The good news is, like most habits, it can be changed.
As a business and leadership coach, I’d like to challenge you to look at worrying differently.
Allow yourself time to worry
Give yourself 15 minutes a day, when you are usually relaxed, and think about some “red light issues” in your business that may or may not pose a problem. Give yourself an outlet, but limit it to things that are really worth worrying about.
Control
Most things people worry about can’t be controlled, yet it dominates thinking. Ask yourself: do I have control over the issue? If you do, take action and fix it. If you can’t control it, prepare for it.
Be a problem solver
There is a big difference between worrying and problem solving. Worrying is repetitive thoughts that are unhelpful and leads to more stress and worry. Problem solving is about getting focused to think about the solutions. What steps and action could you take to ensure a positive outcome?
Make friends with uncertainty
It’s okay to not know exactly how things will turn out. Accept the unpredictability of life and embrace ambiguity, for that is what makes life exciting.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Don’t allow little trifle things to take your eye off the ball and get you down. How important is it in the bigger scheme of things?
Keep busy
Keep your mind occupied with lots of important tasks so there is no time for worry. When you have plenty of action and things to do, you give yourself less time to sit and brood about “what if” scenarios.
Law of averages
What is the likelihood of the worst case scenario actually materialising? Use the law of averages to outlaw your worries.
Accept the worst case scenario
What is the absolute worst thing that could happen? Will anyone die? Will the sun still come up tomorrow? Can you claw back from the situation a stronger, wiser business owner? Of course you can. Remember, everything happens for a reason. Once you realise that the worst case scenario is not the absolute end of the world, you will clear some headspace for positive, solution-orientated, forward thinking.
Force yourself out of your comfort zone
Too often, you worry about new territories and unfamiliar ground. Take steps to push the boundaries of your experience because that is where business growth, learning, excitement and life happens.
You are what you think
I can’t stress enough the importance of positive thinking and the law of attraction. When you worry and focus on the negative, you are playing the victim and are more likely to attract it. Try to focus on the innate tenacity, resilience and confidence that made you a business owner or leader in the first place. Trust that you will get your business through a situation.
If you are still not convinced, remind yourself of the exorbitant price you can pay for worry in terms of your health. Those who do not know how to fight worry, die young. And that really is something to worry about!
If you are destroying today by worrying about tomorrow, contact me to get your stress under control.
Have a great, positive, worry-free weekend doing what makes you happy with the people you love.
