Deliberate worry
What is it?
It is a practice for training our minds out of the tendency toward automatic worry and rumination. The basic idea is to schedule a short amount of time every day to worry on purpose and on paper.
Why is it important?
A consistent practice of deliberate worry has 3 main benefits.
- By creating a consistent time and space for our brains to worry, we discourage them from worrying during inopportune times.
- By distinguishing problems from worries on paper, we’re better able to recognize a particular thought pattern.
- It’s one of the most effective strategies for eliminating sleep anxiety and insomnia.
Why is it hard?
Since worries are uncomfortable and scary, it’s natural for us to recoil from the idea of seeking them out on purpose. The best idea is to give it a shot for a week or so, and you’ll find that you feel less worried and anxious after worrying on purpose than you did before you started.
