Weekly Growth Action Tip #10
“Uncertainty often leads to worry.
Some estimate that people spend nearly six years of their lives worrying about the future. Ironically, a primary regret in older people’s lives was the time they spent worrying, according to Cornell professor Karl Pillimer, who interviewed over 1,200 elderly people.
1. Write it down — Several research studies have found that writing down what you’re worried about can calm you down. Researchers atUniversity of Colorado have found that writing about your personal values, such as family and friends, helps you perform better. Conversely, researchers at The University of Chicago have found that having students write directly about their concerns helps reduce their worrying.
2. Burn it — Thinking about what you’re worried about brings your emotions to the surface. While you write, you re-frame your thinking toward those worries. Burning what you’ve written down is a helpful way of “letting go.”