Count your blessings, not your troubles

I’m certainly no worry-wart but I’ve recently found myself worrying more frequently than I have in the past. This past weekend, I took a random and unscientific poll of family and friends which produced similar results. We are all worrying about money, work, family, kids, our health, spouses, the weather or whatever fits our fancy. These results coupled with my own curiosity led me to question, “Are we all hard wired to worry or can it all be stopped?”

Worrying can affect your health in a significant mental and physical capacity. Loss of sleep, grinding teeth, chronic upset stomach, mental and physical fatigue, loss of appetite or over eating and irritability are just a few side effects of common anxiety. There are a few simple, natural remedies you can exercise to help ease anxiety, some of which, I’ve tested myself. Instead of creating a to-do list filled with household chores why not pencil out a list with relaxing activities like, “get nails done,” or “sit in the backyard with a glass of tea.” We all instinctively plan working but when is the last time you planned relaxing?

Another simple, natural remedy to worrying is a creative outlet such as drawing, painting or writing. You can easily distract your mind from your responsibilities and apprehensions with substitute therapies. Color, sound and light therapy have enormous healing powers and can easily wash away tension like a retreating tide.

The reality is worrying is a natural emotion but it can be mitigated with a little thought and effort. A simple rule of thumb is, “remember to count your blessings, not your troubles.”