Have you ever realized that most of your adversities never occur? Or that most of your worries like in anticipation of such adversities? That some of life’s most common troubling scenarios never come to pass? That most of your worrying is ultimately fruitless, and life goes on?
Below, I present a simple exercise to help you discover the lifecycle of worry. You may find other exercises in counseling degree programs; however this one is mine. I encourage you to sit down at a quiet place, a place where you can relax and reflect. If necessary, fetch yourself a journal, special notebook or a piece of scratch paper.
Mindfulness Exercise
Consider a recent upheaval or stressful event. Go back in time and experience that moment for a minute. How do you feel? What preoccupies your mind?
Under the direct influence of your anguish, your mind is bewildered. You feel disoriented. Your mind is preoccupied with the apprehensions. Filled with distress, you cannot take your mind off the apparent ramifications of your suffering. The wounds of your sorrow appear incurable.
Now, fast forward a few days after the stressful event. What do you experience now? Your troubles no longer hold a grip on your life as before. You feel released from the immediate affliction of the moment. As you now investigate the progress of the stressful situation, you feel amazed by how your feelings have changed. What has become of the irreparable hardship?
Storms of Distress
Allow another interval of time to elapse. How do your feelings compare now? The original despair has experienced further diminution. The stressful event appears formless; your apprehensions are no longer recognizable. You are beginning to smile indulgently at the misfortunes.
A few days later, you are surprised how easily these storms of distress passed. You begin to wonder how these depressing emotions could have possessed you. The events are not undone and the external circumstances remain unchanged. What has changed is the condition of your mind.
“This too shall pass”
“Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.”
* Benjamin Franklin
It is your mind that relates the external circumstances to your internal being. Joy and sorrow, hopes and despairs, elation and desolation, pleasures and annoyances are nothing but outcomes of your sensibility. External circumstances are difficult to conquer — our control over the outer world is narrow, and merely illusory. The evolution of your thoughts and feelings, and your responses to distressing situations are within your power.
The next time you experience a hardship — a conflict, a distressing situation, or annoyance, recall what happened with your prior hardships. Recognize that everything happening in your external environment is but impermanent. Say to yourself, “This too shall pass.”
Suggested Resources
- Four telltale signs of an unhappy employee
- How to create more time
- Self-assessment Quiz: How stressed are you?
- Finding work-life balance
- Seven easy ways to get more done in less time
***See other articles related to stress, worry, anxiety, heath, well-being, happiness, living the good life
