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1. WAYS TO STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE FUTURE

WAYS TO STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE FUTURE

It's natural to feel worried occasionally. Life is full of uncertainties and challenges, so experiencing worry is a common reaction. But when worry becomes constant and overwhelming, it can become a problem, disrupting our ability to live calmly and go about our daily activities (Granier et al., 2020). Tips on how to stop your worrisome and negative thoughts are as follows:

1. Recognize Your Emotions

It might seem helpful to tell yourself “Don’t worry,” but that approach often backfires—trying to suppress a thought can make it even more persistent. Rather than pushing your worries away, try acknowledging them. Accept that your concerns exist without criticizing yourself or trying to immediately fix them. This doesn’t mean you’re giving in to anxiety—it simply shows that you’re becoming more aware of your emotional state (Kobylińska & Kusev, 2019). In fact, just naming what you’re feeling can sometimes reduce the intensity of those emotions and make them easier to manage (Levy-Gigi & Shamay-Tsoory, 2022).

1. Recognize the Reasons Behind Your Worries About the Future

Sheryl Ankrom, a Clinical Mental health Counsellor advises that feeling stressed in uncertain situations is a natural reaction. When we encounter something new or unclear, it's common to worry about what might happen next. These feelings can actually be useful—they help us prepare for potential outcomes and can even serve as motivation. In moderation, stress can have positive effects. However, when stress becomes ongoing, it can begin to harm both our mental and physical health. Excessive worrying may also lead us to avoid situations we find stressful, which can increase anxiety over time (Hofmann & Hay, 2018). People who worry frequently often see the world differently. They tend to expect negative outcomes more often and may react more strongly to both actual and perceived threats (Buff C, Brinkmann L, Bruchmann M, et al., 2017).

1. Let Go of Predicting the Worst

When you worry about a future event by imagining the worst-case scenario, you're essentially assuming you can foresee the future. In reality, you can't—you're anxious about what might happen, not what will happen. And unless worry leads to constructive action, it doesn't actually help (Bhattacharjee et al., 2022). So how can you break the habit of “fortune telling”? One effective method is to test your fears through behavioral experiments. Rather than guessing what might go wrong, take proactive steps. Consciously face the situation you’re concerned about and observe what actually happens. Over time, as you gain more real-world experience and realize that your fears often don’t come true, your anxiety and worry will likely start to decrease.

1. Assess the Risks Rationally

When you're caught in a cycle of chronic worry, your ability to accurately evaluate risks may become skewed (Brown VJ, 2014). You might become preoccupied with imagined future problems, even when there's no concrete evidence that those negative outcomes will happen. For instance, you may frequently fear losing your job, despite never receiving any negative feedback from your supervisor or coworkers. Taking a step back and viewing the situation objectively can help put your concerns into perspective and ease your anxiety.

1. Set Aside a Specific Time to Worry

Sheryl Ankrom notes that, it can be useful to dedicate 15 to 30 minutes each day solely for worrying. If anxious thoughts pop up at other times, remind yourself that you have a designated period to focus on them later. The aim is to confine your worrying to that specific time slot. Creating this routine helps keep intrusive worries from taking over your day. It may reduce overall stress and give you the motivation to address concerns more effectively during your set worry time.

1. Focus on the Present

Sheryl further says that a helpful way to reduce worries about the future is to concentrate more on the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can support this by encouraging greater awareness of what you're experiencing right now—both emotionally and physically. To be more mindful, focus on your current sensations, thoughts, and surroundings. Pay attention to how you feel, what you see, hear, or touch. When anxious thoughts arise, acknowledge them without judgment and gently bring your focus back to the present. With regular practice, you'll strengthen your ability to direct your attention and stay grounded, which can reduce anxiety about uncertain or imagined future events.

1. Recognize and Reframe Anxious Thoughts

Start by writing down the thoughts that make you feel anxious or distressed. Next to each one, create a more positive or rational statement to challenge and replace it. For instance, if you're anxious about flying and fear a crash, you could remind yourself: “Flying is one of the safest modes of travel. Skilled professionals are handling everything, so I can stay calm and enjoy the journey.” You might also find it helpful to use thought-stopping techniques to interrupt and quiet anxious thinking (Larsson et al., 2016).

1. Learn and Use Relaxation Techniques

Practicing relaxation strategies can help you calm your mind and lessen persistent worrying. When used regularly, these techniques can reduce anxiety and improve your overall sense of well-being. Some effective methods include (Khng, 2016):

• Deep Breathing

 This involves taking slow, steady breaths to help activate the body’s relaxation response. Focusing on your breathing can lower your heart rate and reduce tension.

• 2. Guided Imagery

This technique uses calming mental images—like imagining a peaceful beach or quiet forest—to create a sense of calm. You can use recordings or scripts to help guide your imagination.

• Journaling

Writing down your thoughts and feelings allows you to release pent-up worries and gain clarity. It can help you better understand what’s triggering your anxiety and track patterns over time.

• 4. Meditation

Meditation helps train your mind to focus on the present moment, reducing racing thoughts and emotional reactivity. Mindfulness meditation is especially effective for managing worry.

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

PMR involves slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group in your body, one at a time. This helps you recognize and release physical tension that often accompanies stress.

Regular use of these tools can build emotional resilience and help you respond to stress in a healthier, more controlled way.

1. Reach Out to a Friend

Sheryl Ankrom also indicates that having someone to talk to can make a big difference when you're feeling stressed or anxious. A supportive friend can lend a listening ear, offer advice, or simply help you take your mind off the problem for a while. Before opening up, let your friend know what kind of support you're looking for—whether you need them to just listen, help brainstorm solutions, or provide a distraction from what's bothering you. However, be cautious of falling into the habit of co-rumination—repeatedly discussing a problem without making progress. This can actually increase your stress. If that starts to happen, try to steer the conversation in a more constructive direction.

1. Seek Professional Support

If constant worrying is interfering with your daily life, it might be a sign that you need professional support. A therapist can help you explore the root causes of your anxiety and teach you practical strategies to manage it. You can ask your doctor for a referral or search online for a therapist in your area who specializes in **cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)**. CBT is an effective approach that helps you recognize and reframe negative thinking patterns that fuel worry and stress. Online therapy is also a convenient and effective option for many people.

At *Giving Hope Counselling Services*, our experienced Counselling Psychologists are here to walk with you through the uncertainty and fear that often surrounds thoughts of the future. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, chronic worry, or fear of the unknown, our compassionate professionals will equip you with proven strategies and tools to regain peace of mind and confidence. Through personalized support and evidence-based techniques, we’ll help you shift from fear to hope—so you can face tomorrow with strength and clarity.

Call/WhatsApp us on +254721240462/+254733932470 or email us at info@givinghope.co.ke to book a counselling session. Also visit the blog on our website www.givinghope.co.ke for more educative and useful articles.

Peter Mugi Kuruga

Counselling Psychologist/Marriage and Family Therapist

Court Annexed Mediator

 

References

Bhattacharjee A, Williams JJ, Chou K, Tomlinson J, Meyerhoff J, Mariakakis A, Kornfield R. (2022). "I Kind of Bounce off It": Translating Mental Health Principles into Real Life Through Story-Based Text Messages. Proc ACM Hum Comput Interact. Nov;6(CSCW2):398. doi: 10.1145/3555123. Epub 2022 Nov 11. PMID: 36816014; PMCID: PMC9933887.

Brown VJ (2014). Risk perception: It's personal. Environ Health Perspect.;122(10):A276–A279. doi:10.1289/ehp.122-A276

Buff C, Brinkmann L, Bruchmann M, et al. (2017). Activity alterations in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala during threat anticipation in generalized anxiety disorder. Soc Cogn Affect ;12(11):1766-1774. doi:10.1093/scan/nsx103

Granier KL, Segal DL, Coolidge FL., (2020). Relationships among executive dysfunction, constructive worrying, and worry responses in older adults. Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2020;1-16. doi:10.1177/0091415019896227

Hofmann SG, Hay AC. (2018). Rethinking avoidance: Toward a balanced approach to avoidance in treating anxiety disorders. Anxiety Discord. 2018; 55:14-21. Doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.03.004

 

Khng, K. H. (2016). A better state-of-mind: deep breathing reduces state anxiety and enhances test performance through regulating test cognitions in children. Cognition and Emotion, 31(7), 1502–1510. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2016.1233095

Kobylińska D and Kusev P (2019). Flexible Emotion Regulation: How Situational Demands and Individual Differences Influence the Effectiveness of Regulatory Strategies. Front. Psychol. 10:72. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00072

Larsson A, Hooper N, Osborne LA, Bennett P, Mchugh L. (2016). Using brief cognitive restructuring and cognitive diffusion techniques to cope with negative thoughts. Behav Modif. 40(3):452-482. doi:10.1177/0145445515621488

Levy-Gigi E, Shamay-Tsoory S. (2022). Affect labeling: The role of timing and intensity. PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0279303. Published 2022 Dec 29. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279303

https://www.verywellmind.com/sheryl-ankrom-2583883