Coaching self through worry

by | Jun 1, 2022 | Opentalk Blogs

We all worry in different ways and about different things at different times. I am referring to ‘every day’ worry, the kind that is more about ‘short-term’ concerns, thoughts, which can be resolved by problem solving. I am not referring to ‘anxiety’, a deeper worry and tends to be something we ‘experience’ and may need a support from a specialist (Psychology Today).

Between everyday life of family, friends, health and jobs, there’s enough to worry about. Add world issues of wars, recessions, rising costs, shortages and more into the mix, it’s hard not to be consumed by worry. Wouldn’t it be better if we could find ways to stay ‘on top’ of the worry and channel our energy into areas and activities that will help us?

In coaching my clients, I have seen three approaches help them to ‘deal with their worries’, including

  • Name it – say what you are worried about, if you can. Acknowledge the actual worry, helps you to ‘accept’ it and deal with the issue head on.
  • Break the issue into smaller manageable pieces – so you don’t feel overwhelmed. In this way the ‘worry’ begins to seem less significant, you are ‘taking control’ and don’t feel controlled by it.
  • Reframe the challenge into something positive – learning from experience. There are always alternative angles on issues and other ways of approaching problems.

Adapting some tools and techniques so that you can self-coach, will help you to build self-reliance and resilience and with practice, get you back on track for a happy, fulfilling life more quickly. The more we understand how we worry, and about what we worry, the more we are armed to ‘deal with it’ better. For example, asking yourselves questions such as:

  • What’s important about this issue for me?
  • What do I know and what am I assuming about this issue?
  • What is the impact on me?
  • What are the other ways to look at this issue?
  • What part of this is something I can solve and control?
  • How would I like to feel?

These questions can help you to see options previously missed. You can be better equipped to take issues ‘head on’ and work through them. Also, as leaders and managers, when you deepen understanding of yourselves, you can learn to better understand other people.

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