This is a contributed post. However, all opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.
When it comes to your mental health, you might think it’s all the big things that you find worrying that cause you the most problems. Things like death and money and relationships and your physical health, for example. However, for many people, although these things can certainly cause worries, it is actually the small things in life that can be more problematic. This is because they add up, turning into much more significant things than they ever need to be.
Of course, it’s easy to say you should stop worrying about these ‘small things’ in your life, but if you could, you would find that at least some of your mental health worries would be greatly reduced. Here are some useful tips on how to worry less about these small things so you can more easily clear your mind and help yourself feel better.
Stop Getting Ahead Of Yourself
Have you ever had a task to do or a place to go or someone to see, and although you can’t possibly know how the task or meeting will turn out, you worry about any number of imagined scenarios, each one worse than the last? This could be about a presentation you have to give at work, where you assume it’s going to go wrong in some way. It could be a date where you imagine the other person is going to dislike you. Perhaps it’s a special meal you intend to make for a loved one, and you worry that it’s going to taste bad and they won’t like it.
Living in the future like this, worrying about something that hasn’t happened and may well never happen, will cause you mental health issues, potentially to the extent where you are afraid to try anything new or even speak out about something you are interested in or care about. You may find you withdraw from society and don’t try anything new for fear of something terrible happening.
The thing to remember is that you must stay in the present. In this way, you can help yourself stop worrying about something that you have no control over or that you don’t know the outcome of because it hasn’t happened yet. To do this, when you start to feel overwhelmed, focus on something that is in the room with you – notice everything about it from its color to its shape to its beauty. Do this while taking deep breaths to center yourself, and you should start to feel calmer.
Practice Self-Acceptance
If you are unsure about yourself or you can’t accept yourself fully, this can mean that you always look at the negative aspects of your personality and life. Perhaps you had to attend an interview in the past and you became tongue-tied or said the wrong thing. This idea could then lodge in your mind and make every subsequent interview a big problem when it doesn’t need to be.
The more you can practice self-acceptance and understand that you – as well as everyone else – make mistakes but that those mistakes don’t define you, the easier it will be to try again after a failure. In this way, the small things that you worry about can be much less troublesome because you are more easily able to forgive yourself if something goes wrong.
Be Prepared
If you really are having trouble dealing with what might be termed ‘small worries’ in your life (although of course, they may not feel small to you), then you can help yourself by being prepared. This way, you know you will have done everything you can to minimize the impact of anything that might go wrong.
For example, if you’re concerned that your meal might not be good, practice in advance, or have a backup plan such as being able to call for takeout just in case there is an issue. Or, if you’re worried about driving your car because you had an accident in the past, make sure you always have the contact details of the personal injury attorneys devoted to your case, as you know they have helped you in the past.
The more prepared you are, the happier you will feel about trying new things. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use all the things you put in place just in case there was an issue, but knowing they are there is a comfort that can help greatly.
Talk To Someone
Finally, if you are having trouble in your life because you have a lot of worries about things that might be considered small, find someone to talk to. Whether it’s a loved one, a therapist, or someone who understands what you are going through, it’s essential to let your feelings out. Even if the person listening has no advice, the act of speaking your fears aloud can be extremely therapeutic.
