Stress can be debilitating, but it doesn’t have to be. We all deal with stressful situations in life, but some of us know the secret to overcoming these struggles. As you learn how to let go of these stressful moments and feelings, you’ll be able to live life to the fullest.
How to Let Go of Worrying
It’s impossible to eliminate all stress from our lives, but we can all do a better job of learning how to manage stress and handle our own fears.
If you’re ready to learn how to let go of your anxiety, keep reading.
1. Identify the Cause
Figuring out why you’re worried is the first part of letting go of your anxiety.
Why are you so anxious? Are you actually excited about something and are worried that it’s too good to actually be real? Are you worried that something bad will happen?
Answering these questions is a good way to come to terms with what is really driving your anxieties.
If you dig deep enough, you’ll see what’s really underneath these worries.
Excitement, fear, sadness, and a combination of many other different emotions often culminate in this feeling of being worried. Once you can break down your anxiety into smaller feelings, you’ll be better able to get a hold of how you’re feeling and work on eliminating your anxiety altogether.
Though it will take time, making this step forward will allow you to get started with dismantling your anxiety.
2. Recognize What You Can’t Control
In life, we want to take control of everything. From our emotions to the direction in which our lives are going, we all try our best to get what we want out of life.
However, this isn’t possible in every situation. Our most intricate plans have a way of falling apart, regardless of how much hard work we put into them.
When we are unable to realize our goals, it can lead to feeling frustrated, hopeless, and worried about how things will turn out after our initial attempts have failed.
Though these moments can be a major letdown, if you find yourself feeling this way, you must understand that you can’t control everything in life.
From other people, to the weather, to relationships, you can only control your own actions.
While this realization may seem frustrating to some people, in reality, it is rather freeing.
Being able to let go of any feelings of guilt, frustration, and stress caused by not feeling in control will give way to feeling more confident about your choices—the only thing you can control.
3. Realize that Worrying is Useless
Worrying is ultimately a waste of energy.
Oftentimes, the most stressful situations are ones that can’t be planned for. Situations like car trouble or a natural disaster are all examples of potential stress-inducing issues that will happen whether you worry or not.
Similarly, most of the scenarios we fear will happen never actually happen. Whether you’re worried you’ll lose your job or you’re afraid you’ll never find the love of your life, most of this anxiety is in your head.
Since you ultimately can’t control what will happen to you in life, what’s the point in worrying about something you have no control over?
4. Understand You’re a Survivor
No one escapes life unscathed.
We all have our own war stories of broken hearts, hurt feelings, and some of the worst situations we’ve ever experienced.
Looking back at all that, you must realize that you’ve gone through all these challenging situations and you’ve come out of them alive.
You’ve survived everything that you’ve been through and you’ll continue to keep surviving.
You’re more powerful than you know and stronger than you give yourself credit for.
Once you accept this fact and let go off your fear, you’ll see that whatever you’ve been worrying about doesn’t stand a chance. You’ve proven to life and yourself that you’re more than the things that threatened to hold you back.
Whatever happens next, you can handle it.
5. Recognize Inconveniences for What They Are
We’ve all been there. What is really a minor inconvenience seems like a catastrophe in the moment.
Taking a step back to recognize inconveniences for what they are will help you keep your anxiety in check and let go.
Whenever you feel yourself start to tense up with stress again, ask yourself if it’s truly a disaster of if it is a small inconvenience.
When we are overworked, stressed out, and low on energy, even the smallest things can feel like the end of the world.
If you can, take some time for yourself and decompress before addressing the situation again. This wil help you let learn to let go.
Once you are centered, analyze the problem and see whether or not it is worth worrying over. As soon as you understand that the problem isn’t as unmanageable as it seems, you’ll be better able to find a solution to the issue.
6. Trust Yourself, You Got This
We live, we learn. The more experience you have, the better equipped you will be to handle the curveballs that life throws your way.
Most of the stress we have comes from feeling like we aren’t capable of handling a situation. Whether you’re worrying about finding money for a financial issue or working through a complicated problem in a relationship, things can easily seem overwhelming when you doubt yourself.
Regardless of what you’ve experienced in life, always believe in yourself.
Whatever problem you may be worrying about, you have every tool you need to solve your issues. Even if things don’t work out as perfectly as you may hope, the more you trust yourself, the better you will be able to navigate these situations and let go of the fear.
7. Honor Your Journey
Life is meant to be experienced.
Throughout the good and the bad, it’s important to honor the journey you are going through.
Every momentary inconvenience or setback will only help to shape you into the person you are becoming. Even the moments that are the most painful allow you to become a stronger person and prepare you to take on other challenges in life.
As you go through life, choose to embrace all your experiences rather than worry about what may or may not happen.
Take joy where you can find it and learn what you can from any mistakes. With this sort of mindset in place, you’ll find that you can look forward to any hand that life deals you as you know it is only serving to make you into the best version of yourself.
8. Ask for Help When You Need It
One of the main reasons life’s struggles can seem so overwhelming is the fact that we try to do life alone.
While this sort of independent mindset is helpful in certain situations, no one is an island.
Not everything in life is easy to face alone and we don’t have to go through these issues by ourselves. It’s time to let go of the idea that we don’t need anyone else.
When things start to become too overwhelming, it’s okay to ask for help.
Our friends and family members care about us and are often willing to help in any way they can.
If you ever take on too much, don’t make it worse by drowning in the fear that you don’t have a way out of the situation. Though it may be uncomfortable to ask for help, it doesn’t mean you’re weak.
Being able to admit that we can’t handle something on your own is a strength that more of us should start embracing.
9. Learn How to Let Go
Anxiety doesn’t have to stay with us. All the worry, stress, and fear that we invite into our lives can be eliminated when we make the decision to let these things go.
From forgiving someone that has wronged us to letting go of past mistakes that seem to haunt us, understanding how to accept things and move on from them is the sort of cathartic experience that allows us to move on and free ourselves from anxiety that would’ve otherwise held us back.
As you go through your daily life, you’ll find more ways to release the momentary anxiety you feel so you can start fresh each day.
10. Prepare for Positivity
Many of us invite needless negativity into our lives. While it may seem important to worry about all the little things like what to wear, what to say, and what the day may bring, these worries only serve to make us feel negatively about ourselves and our lives.
Similarly, thoughts where we criticize ourselves cause further stress and lead to us doubting ourselves.
Avoid all these dissatisfactory emotions and thoughts by focusing on removing negativity from your life.
Spend a few moments in the morning reflecting on all the positive things in your life.
Go over all the amazing characteristics that make you you and remind yourself that you’re capable of anything.
To avoid stressing out over the little things, take some time the night before to plan out your outfits, schedule, meals, and anything else that might cause stress in the coming days.
The better prepared you are mentally, physically and emotionally, the less stress you’ll experience.
Final Thoughts on How to Let Go
Letting go of your stress won’t happen overnight. While it may take time to fully let go, taking daily steps to move past these worries will help you manage your stress.
Keep this guide in mind as you take on each day and its new challenges. Learning how to live in the moment is all about not letting stress hold you back. As you learn to let go, you’ll see just how wonderful life can be.
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