A Post a Day in May 2019 #15: The Waste of Worry

I have pledged to write a new post for this blog every day in May.

My post last week about busyness and doing nothing brought several responses from readers who riffed on the general idea of work and activity, and one person mentioned the act of worrying. So much time spent worrying about yesterday’s behaviour, today’s work and tomorrow’s expectations. The work world, with its hectic pace and expectations of relentless productivity, fairly breeds the seeds of worry. 

I think it’s probably unavoidable to worry. Maybe it’s in our DNA, just part of being human. But I also think it’s worth trying to manage it, to contain it. 

A friend once told me she had “designated worry time” every day. If it was inevitable to worry, she at least would do it only for a specified period of time: 15 minutes in the morning, then stop. STOP WORRYING. Move on. 

I liked the idea then, and I still like it today. It’s not as if worrying is productive, as if it produces anything other than more anxiety. So why let it free range in your thoughts and mind? Why let it suck up your energy. 

Yes, there are things — serious things in this world — to worry about. So worry for 15 minutes in the morning, then put your energy into something productive: 

• If your partner is in surgery having a hip replacement, go home and vacuum the house while waiting for the phone call to say she’s in recovery.
• If you’re waiting to hear about a job, go for a walk while waiting for the phone to ring (we have the technology to do this in 2019; the phone is right there in your pocket, after all). 
• If the cat has gone AWOL down the road, shake the treat can, then wait. She has a mind of her own; you’re not really in charge of her, anyway. 

Worry won’t change the outcome, so don’t let it chain you to its energy drain. Simply be, while waiting for time to pass. (Hard, yes, but possible with practice and discipline.) Limit the worry, experience your breath. (Challenging, yes, but possible with practice and mindfulness.) 

The surgery will be performed, well, we hope. The job will given to someone, with luck it will be you. The cat will come back, or not. Your worry won’t change these outcomes. Time enough for worry when the outcome is known. Until then, 15 minutes of worry in the morning — then, stop, and move on. 

Thanks for reading.