Hi!
How are you? Got a lot on your mind?
Last week I talked about futurecasting as a way of deciding if the stressors you’re facing are as impactful as they feel. Because
feelings aren’t facts.
So many folks answered as they grappled with the usefulness of that lens, and a significant number of you asked What if these are impactful worries? Is there any other way to get some relief?
Meaning: if you ask yourself “will this matter to me many years into the future?” and the answer is “Yes!” – then what? Is there some other way you get some brain rest or time off from the stress of constantly navigating these issues?
Here is a different strategy you might try:
Goal: Reduce the stressful impact of navigating something important.
Strategy: Give yourself permission to notice but not react to that change for one day.
The details: Pick a day this week and decide that this is a vacation day. A vacation from worrying what will happen, telling the story of how hard this is, allowing this struggle to decrease your joy in other things. One day, from when you wake up (put a post it note on your phone or alarm clock to remind you first thing), to after you fall asleep.
But HOW? By delaying your worry. Every time it comes into your mind just say to yourself “Tomorrow.” And then distract yourself with something that makes you smile or even laugh out loud.*
Try this for a day. Or maybe a day a week, or a few days. There’s research to show that this can be an effective strategy for navigating (not ignoring) obstacles, so you may find you solve the problem or navigate the change… while you’re delaying your worry about it.
Is there something you’d like to delay your worry about? Comment and tell me! And see below for that asterisk – there are a few ways I’d like to help.
All my best,
Dr. G
*Here are a few of my go-to resources for that smile or laugh:
- Cute puppies (unless you’re not an animal person)
- Skiing toddler gives herself pep talks (the cuteness)
- A TED talk on the power of smiling (for the more intellectual)
- Damn You Autocorrect (this one makes me laugh so hard that strangers stare at me)
Got one to add? Send it to me!
