Worrying is a part of life. Feelings of worry often creep up, whether due to work, relationships, or a mixture of things. In the legal realm, worry can be particularly prevalent, with both your own and your clients’ lives to feel concerned about.
While worrying is normal, you don’t have to live with your worries. You can take steps to minimize your worries and tackle your problems.
What Exactly Is “Worrying?”
“Worry” is a general term for feelings of anxiety and uneasiness. You may experience worry over current dilemmas or worry about events that may or may not happen in the future.
The topics you most worry over usually have an uncertain outcome or future. Therefore, when you worry, this is often your mind’s way of attempting to problem-solve. You may be plagued with thoughts and images, which are usually negative, that make it almost impossible to think about anything else.
There are different levels of worry, from normal, everyday worry to excessive worry. Understanding your thoughts and feelings and taking steps to reduce your worry can substantially help you, no matter the level of worry you’re dealing with.
How Worrying Affects Your Life
Worrying can negatively affect your life in a range of ways, including your physical health and productivity.
Frequent worry can trigger a bodily response involving certain hormones, such as the stress hormone cortisol. These hormones can result in certain physical reactions, including:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Fast heart rate
- Dizziness
- Sweating
In the long term, chronic worry can have other effects, including a weakened immune system, muscle tension, and digestive disorders. Additionally, your anxious thoughts can make it difficult to focus on much of anything else. This can affect your everyday life, relationships, and level of productivity — and for an attorney, productivity is paramount.
5 Tips to Help You Stop Worrying
Someone telling you to “relax” or “stop worrying” isn’t going to do the trick. Stopping your frequent worry takes more thought and effort. However, when you use certain tactics, you give yourself the opportunity to release many of your worrisome thoughts and proceed with more hope and positivity.
Here are five key tips for attorneys dealing with worry:
1. List Your Troubles and Note Your Triggers
It sounds counterproductive to list the topics that are contributing to your worry. If you’re trying to stop thinking about them, why write them down? Often, writing things down gives you perspective. Jot down your fears, your worries, and your anxieties. Writing these details down can help you refocus.
When writing down your worries, dig deep. What exactly is worrying you? Are you worried about things that are in your control or things that aren’t?
If something is within your control, brainstorm. Focus on what you have the power to change and the outcomes you can influence. When something isn’t in your control, try to accept the uncertainty. Fortunately and unfortunately, nothing in life is guaranteed. Try to come up with ways to cope with life’s unpredictability.
Additionally, writing down your worries aids in discovering your patterns and triggers. What scenarios or habits tend to provoke your anxious thoughts? Understanding how your mind works and deals with certain situations can substantially help you decrease worry in the future.
2. Talk It Out
You might think holding everything in makes you stronger, but keeping it all bottled up can make you weaker. Once you write down your worries and fears, share them with a trusted individual.
Talking face-to-face with someone — be it a friend, family member, or therapist — can make your fears seem much less threatening. This person can listen without judgment or criticism and help you face your worries head-on.
Building a strong support system you can count on can boost your self-esteem and improve your mental health. Human beings are naturally social; don’t deprive yourself of that social connection, especially during the times you need it most.
3. Get Up and Get Moving
When you’re in an anxious spiral, you may be tempted to sit still and allow all your worrisome thoughts to ruminate in your mind. But sitting still and focusing on your thoughts can be one of the worst things you can do for yourself.
Instead, when you start to notice your anxious thoughts taking over, do something. Adopt a healthy activity to help you focus your mind on something else and keep you busy.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself for numerous reasons. It is not only part of a wholesome lifestyle, but it can also decrease your worrisome thoughts. Walking, yoga, and weight lifting are all wonderful options to keep your body and mind healthy.
Meditation, breathing techniques, and journaling can also help you in your most anxious moments. When you begin to fall into a negative headspace, take a relaxation break.
4. Delve Into the World of Self-Help
Self-help books are written with the intention of helping readers solve some of their problems. For many, these books are a source of welcomed aid and guidance.
Depending on your specific needs, self-help books can help you alter your habits, revamp your lifestyle, and change your thoughts. Some of the most popular self-help books, like “The Power of Now” and “The Art of Letting Go,” can truly open your mind and shift your outlook on many things, including worry.
5. Combat Worry With Gratitude
You may be surprised to know that you can fight the impacts of worry with gratitude. Gratitude is an emotion that helps you focus on and feel thankful for the good and positive things in your life.
Like worry, gratitude affects you not just mentally but physically as well. Gratitude aids in the release of “happy” hormones, including serotonin and dopamine, and combats the stress hormone cortisol.
When you’re feeling stressed and worried, take some time to practice gratitude. Think about the things you’re most grateful for, or write down the positives in your life. Doing so turns your focus on the good rather than the bad or uncertain.
Woven Legal Can Minimize Your Worries
When work has you worried, Woven Legal is here for you. We can connect you with quality virtual professionals, including legal assistants and paralegals, to help you balance your workload and effectively reduce your stress.
Book a discovery call to learn more about how we can assist you with your legal practice today.
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