"To stop worrying can seem as tricky as space travel"

I've spent years worrying (the irony) that it was only me that seemed to fill so much time with fretting.  Over.  Everything. It gets us nowhere and gives us nothing but an elevated heart rate and general misery; but to stop worrying can seem as tricky as space travel.  What is worse is that as I get older I find even more useless things to lose sleep over.

What gets to me the most is that one day I'll look back and be disappointed at the level of worrying I did versus the level of freedom I could get from trusting and letting go of things.  I don't want to be in an old age home knitting a cardigan and shaking my head at all my decades of worrying.  It is a vicious cycle with an exhausting loop.  

I believe it can be hereditary as my gran is a champion worrier and I think I take after her.  She has (in her own words) what she refers to as "post-mortems".  After a conversation with family and friends, she will dissect the discussion on her own and worry that she has offended or upset someone.  So we'll get a phone call the next day to explain what she meant.  Even though she couldn't offend anyone (even if she tried) she worries like it is nobody's business.

I decided recently that my worrying was not getting any better and I needed to do something about it.  So I started wearing an elastic band on my wrist.  Every time I think of something negative I give it a little snap.  It can be anything from worrying over something that won't matter one day to unnecessary criticism (aimed at others or myself).  The first day I walked around snapping it like mad, but the next day it was one of the first things I put on when I got dressed.

Another thing that worriers need to do is distance themselves from negativity.  Yes, I know this is easier said than done, but it is worth the effort.  For instance if you have someone in your life who is constantly negative and draining, you have the right to limit contact with the energy vampire.  It will at first surprise people but nobody deserves to steal your sunshine and the sooner they realise that the better. 

I felt rather down recently about crime in general and after being robbed on holiday, it made me feel worse.  A friend overseas is constantly posting articles on crime in SA on Facebook and it was upsetting being constantly reminded of something that is always on my (extensive) list of worries.  So I've decided to click unfollow for a bit.  Life is too short to spend time worrying over negative things clogging up your timeline.

I read somewhere that when caught in a spiral of worrying thoughts, it is a good idea to ask yourself if any of them will matter in 5 years time.  The answer is very often no.  

Worrying keeps one from living in the present because we are focusing on the past or fretting over the future.  We are stressing over what has happened (and often cannot be undone) and worrying over what hasn't yet happened in the future.  It is like robbing ourselves of happiness.

I hope other readers have tips too as I'd love to know the secret to stopping the cycle of worry for good. - Tea addict