Worrying Is The Worst Time Waster

By Simon Meadowcroft

I am sure you have all heard about those lists of how many total hours we spend doing stuff like going to the bathroom, driving to and from work and watching TV, but did you ever stop to think how much time you spend worrying.

You go to the bathroom because you have to. The need to drive to and from work derives from a life choice. You watch the TV because you choose to and even though it sometimes may not be a good use of time, you get some entertainment from it. It is important to realize that worrying is also something you choose to do but it always makes you feel bad, it can stop you from concentrating on other activities and can drain your energy in unproductive thoughts.

Worrying is the worst time waster there is because it not only uses time which could be used more productively but it also makes you feel bad. It is worth doing anything that takes your mind off worrying, watch a movie, watch TV, go out with some friends, whatever you like to do, but avoid spending time worrying.

If you are like me however, whatever the worries may be, they will come back to you when you have nothing else to do, like when you are standing in line at a super market or when just before you go to sleep at night. So how do you avoid worrying in the long term? First you have to realize that you worry about things that you fear.

The answer to dealing with these worries is to them and the reasons for them out into the open. It is like exorcising your demons. The best outlet for your worries will depend on what type of worries they are. Worries can be put in two categories as follows:1. Worries about things that require action2. All other worries

In the first case the worries about things that require actions, there are two ways you can deal with them:1. Simply do the thing that needs to be done, even though it might cause some personal discomfort, once it is done it is out of the way and won't hang around to haunt you.2.
Put the thing that worries you on a 'to do' list. Often we cannot do something right away and putting it on a 'to do' list will remind you to do it later. This is particularly effective when your worry is precisely that you might forget to do the thing that you are supposed to do.

The key thing about 'to do' lists is that you need to make a habit of reviewing your 'to do' list every day. I recommend that you don't write your 'to do' list in a note book or scraps of paper but rather in an electronic organizer on using software on a computer that you are always using for work or at home.

Other worries that do not require action may be worries about what people think of you, worries about things you have done or what people think about things you have done. Or they may be worries about new situations or even that you or a loved one may be seriously ill.

For these types of worries you can do about them:1. Talk to somebody about them, this might be your friends, your spouse, other family or even a counselor if needed. This might be spoken or through some electronic media.2. Write them in a journal, if you are worried about things you think are too private, or you think other people will think the worries are silly then this is a really good way to get things off your chest.

As with the 'to do' list you need to get into the habit of reviewing your journal on a regular basis. One important benefit of keeping a journal is that it can give you a sense of perspective, what might have been worrying you a week ago may not seem important anymore.

Whatever the outlet once you have brought your worries out into the open (even if only to yourself). It will feel like burdens are being lifted from you and you will find that you are occupying much less of your time with your worries. This is time that can be used more productively at work, doing things you like and spent on things that interest you.

More importantly less time spent worrying is less time feeling bad and in a negative state. And less time feeling unhappy, means that you will be generally happier in your life.

Take care, Simon

I am a husband, and father of one son who works as an engineer. I became involved in writing articles about self improvement and positive attitude as part of a process of developing a more positive attitude to life myself.

I am committed to making my thoughts freely available to anybody who takes interest in reading my articles in the hope that they can similarly make their attitude more positive.

For anybody who is interested in improving their attitude to life and would like to see more of my articles or simply wants some advice on how they can feel better about themselves please visit my website http://www.positivity.9f.com I am interested in any feedback about whether my articles are providing a positive benefit.