10 Habits Of People Who Never Worry
At our overnight summer camps near Chicago, we strive to be intentionally empowering and intentionally challenging, so that our campers maximize their potential. Amanda Chan posted this Huffington Post article, summarized below, (and in full at this link) describing ten (originally 11 in the article) habits of people who never worry:
It is clear that there are some personality types that are more linked to worrying than others. And while everyone worries from time to time, it is possible to worry so much that it starts to have a noticeable impact on your daily life. But even if you are a worrier, you’re not doomed—there are a number of effective strategies that worriers can use to stop the cycle…as well as some common traits shared by people who aren’t bogged down by it.
Habits
They focus on the present.
Perhaps one of the biggest differences between worriers and non-worriers is the ability to stay in the present, and not get bogged down by things that have yet to happen. …Non-worriers are able to look at a problem and recognize what solution needs to be implemented, “but a worrier isn’t able to get that kind of distance,” … “For instance, say your son comes home with a bad grade. If you’re a worrier, you might then worry that this will cause your son to fail the class, which will then impair him from getting into college. However, if you’re a non-worrier, you’ll realize that the immediate issue at hand is just that your son needs to study harder in this particular class—and that’s that.
They practice mindfulness.
Because staying in the present is so fundamental to squashing worry, practicing mindfulness can help you to steer focus away from a hypothetical issue that could develop down the road.
They’re more willing to take chances.
While worriers have a hard time making decisions—they take a long time because they can become crippled by all the potential negative outcomes—non-worriers are more willing to test out solutions to a problem even if a bad outcome is possible…[N]on-worriers are also more flexible in the way they think about things, so they don’t get stuck in a negative thinking rut.
They have a sense of perspective.
Non-worriers are able to distance themselves from a situation in order to gain perspective.
They get to the root of their worry.
It’s so important to figure out what the real problem is in order to stop the worry cycle. … It’s important to move from problem-generation, which is what worriers are prone to do, to problem-solving.”
They don’t stop worrying — they just designate time for it.
A recommend[ed] strategy [is] called the “worry chair.” It works like this—reserve a 15-minute time during the day where you can just think and ponder over your worries on your own. Don’t worry outside those 15 minutes, and make sure that you’re spending your worry session in the same spot (hence the term “worry chair”!) each day.
They have confidence they can handle whatever comes at them.
They have the ability to see positive outcomes in seemingly bleak situations.
Non-worriers are able to see that there could be a positive outcome to a negative event.
They ask themselves the right questions.
Is it my problem? Do I have any control over it? Have I already done everything about it that I can? And is it imminent? If it’s not imminent, then there’s no reason to worry about it now.
They know how to perceive their negative emotions.
People who have a healthier psychological outlook tend to look at negative emotions as a sign that whatever is causing those emotions—whether it be relationships, or work, or bills—needs attention. They use emotions to make informed decisions.