Everyone worries – I’m sure that even the Dalai Lama has his share of times of worry. Worry can serve a purpose in our lives. For example, a worry about your car’s sluggish brakes can lead you to take your can in for repair and avoid an accident. However, when worry consumes a large part of your thoughts and causes disruption in your happiness and health, then you are at risk of “over worrying.”

When we worry, our bodies release cortisol, which is responsible for our “flight or flight” response. This primal response is useful in dangerous situations, causing us to sharpen our senses and prepare for a sudden burst of activity to flee from a situation, but is not physically useful in day to day situations of cronic worry. Physical symptoms of chronic worry include, but are not limited to, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, inability to concentrate, sweating, dizziness, muscle aches, fatigue, headaches, irritability, and nausea.

These physical manifistations of worry are caused not by stress alone, but how you react to the stress. If you notice that you are experiencing the effects of worry, there are things that you can do to cope with it.

• Speak with your doctor and get a physical exam. Discuss your concerns with your primary care physician and be sure to have your annual physical exam to rule out any underlaying health causes to cause anxiety.
• Reduce caffeine intake. If you are a coffee drinker, consider switching to green tea or, better yet, caffeine free herbal tea. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, making symptoms of anxiety and worry worse.
• Schedule time for worry. It is impossible to live a completely worry-free life, but it is important that your time that you are experiencing worry is not all consuming. Set aside an hour a day and do a really good job at worrying for that hour. During the day, if you find yourself beginning to worry, write down your worry thought, as a quick note, in a worry journal and promise yourself to take the time and consideration to worry about this particular item during your worry time. Then, shut your journal, and wait for your scheduled worry time to think about this thought. You may find that eventually you need less than an hour to satisfy your needs to worry.
• Eat properly. Stress and anxiety causes appetite changes in people. It cause some people to eat too little, or too much or to eat junk food. Your body needs the proper nutrition to cope with a stimulated nervous system.
• Exercise. Do some sort of exercise daily. Walking for 20 minutes a day after lunch, for example, is something that might be easy to incorporate into your day.
• Sleep. Sleep is critical in having positive mental health. Too much or too little sleep can cause problems both physically and mentally.
• Get social. Having a strong social network is critical in dealing with worry and stress. If you do not have a circle of friends, try joining clubs or informal classes. We are social animals and even the most introverted people need to be around other people for mental health.
• Volunteer. It is hard to feel bad about your own situation if you are helping people or a cause that is experiencing difficulties. This also helps connecting us with others.
• Learn to meditate. Meditation takes us to a place of mindfulness and away from the distraction of worry and anxiety. Incorporating a daily meditation practice actually has the effect of reducing the stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which are released when you worry.

Living a life with less worry and stress is a process and will take a some work and time. This process can be facilitated by finding a therapist to help you work though your challenges with worry and help guide you to find your path of living a less stressful life.