Write Down Your Worries
Research has shown that journaling about your fears about anything, including about being left out, reduces the amount of worry about them.
By writing them down, you are basically emptying your head of its worries.
Your worries don’t seem as daunting when you’ve written them down, and it’s like you have “slain the dragon” before you’ve even set out on your journey.
It’s been proven that we deal with worries in our minds in an emotional way, but when we write them down, we can deal with them logically. So grab a notebook and start writing.
Assign a Time to Worry
Sure, this sounds weird. But think of it this way: the time you set aside specifically for worrying will free up more time for other productive thoughts. When our mind is focused on worrying about something, it stalls our working memory—the part of the brain we use for performing daily tasks.
Worrying about what others think of you can actually make you less productive and efficient. So carve out about half an hour each day to worry ‘productively.’ That is, think of all your worries and come up with solutions for them. Any worrying thought that occurs outside of this period should not be entertained.
Just notice them, and then go back to the task at hand.
Limit the Time You Spend on Your Phone and Laptop
Now more than ever, we worry that we are missing out on something if we aren’t always “plugged in.” Life moves quickly in our Twitter world, and this worry about being left out can easily get out of control, leaving us anxious and depressed.
Research shows that people who are used to being “plugged in” a majority of the time experience more worry and anxiety than those who take the time to “unplug.” In other words, the more time people spend away from Facebook, texting, and email, the more worried they are.
This is an important habit to break because it becomes a vicious cycle. To start gaining back your peace of mind, mental health professionals recommend assigning times to check emails and social media and then switching off your phone at the end of work day.
It may be a challenge to get out of the habit of constantly using your smartphone to check your email or social media notifications, but it will be worth it. Once you break this cycle, your worries about what you are missing by being “unplugged” will go away.
