Make Your Worries Productive

Worry normally paralyses you into a state of guilt, regret or getting stuck in the past or things that may happen in the future. You may worry about everything from your current financial state, job, domestics and relationships, to the weather or anything that affects your lifestyle. Worry normally comes in two types, productive and unproductive. The unproductive worry consists of problems you have no control over. For example, you may be worried about a nuclear war. There’s nothing you can do about it, so it’s a waste of time and very unproductive to worry about it. Productive worry involves a situation you can control, such as meeting an important deadline.

You may be anxious about getting the work done on time, but sitting on the couch worrying about it doesn’t help. You can make that worry productive by planning what you can do to meet the deadline and then taking action.You may need to empty your mind of all negative thoughts before you can become productive. And one way to clear your mind is to write down your worries and analyse. Your anxiety will likely recede when you can focus only on the task at hand and leave the clutter in your mind behind. Sometimes, anxiety can become an energy booster because of the definite adrenaline rush you experience when you’re anxious; and when you focus that energy on being productive, your performance is enhanced.

As you begin to control your worry patterns and work through them, you’ll build resilience so that you can face future circumstances with confidence If you become panicked about a situation, it may be best to get your mind off of it for a while to read a book, take a walk or do something to help clear your mind. Giving yourself a break from whatever is stressing you out is also a productive step you can take and the task will become much easier when you return to it. Transforming worrying into productivity takes practice, but when you master the technique, you’ll be amazed at how you can mentally pull yourself out of a stressful situation and get back to solving the worrisome situation in a rational and productive way.