I’m no stranger to seemingly awful things happening and the hollow feeling in my chest that accompanies them.
When things feel like they’re in overload mode, I return to the following:
Do a worry assessment.
Right now, you’re likely worrying. Difficult life events can trigger us into this woeful misuse of our thoughts. Be real about how much you’re worrying, and see if you can step outside of this rush of thinking for a moment, as an observer.
Don’t fall for the societal lie that worrying is somehow needed. It never is. We can either use our clever little noggins to plan our wise next moves, or we can succumb to the tantalising itch of ruminating over things that are out of our control.
Don’t scratch that itch. Instead, do this:
Write down five things you can do about it.
At the very least, writing down ideas for solutions to the pickle you find yourself in is cathartic.
It gets your thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Once here, you can make the executive decision on what potential ideas need actioning.
Now, that feeling of being lost at sea is quickly replaced by a good sense that you’re back in control.
