Sometimes work (and life!) can feel overwhelming, and you can’t help but worry about how to handle it all. But as much as worrying feels productive, it’s not actually helpful. Instead, it might be time to learn a few ways to worry less so you and your team can stay calmer and more focused when dealing with day to day challenges.

Worry can feel all-consuming, but the good news is that you can take control and stop it in its tracks. In this article, we’ll explore 5 ways to worry less so you can break free of the cycle of unhelpful rumination.

Here’s a quick peek at our list of what to do when you worry too much:

• Write down your worries

• Focus on what you can control

• Try meditation to rein in your wandering mind

• Replace unhelpful thoughts with positive thinking

Let’s dig in!

5 ways to worry less at work

1. Write down your worries

When your mind is swirling with worrisome thoughts, it’s difficult to concentrate on anything. That distraction level can keep you from being productive and effective at the tasks you actually need to complete, and can leave you at a loss wondering how to not worry about the future. 

Research says one of the most effective ways to stop worrying is to write down the things that are troubling you. Sometimes just the act of writing down your thoughts can help calm your thinking and allow you to focus.  

2. Focus on what you can control

You have a finite amount of time and energy each day, and while some problems are worth a significant investment of effort, others are simply out of our control. 

This means that no amount of worrying or thinking will remove uncertainty or help us change a potential outcome. (Do yourself a favour and read that again!) Getting stuck worrying about situations we can’t influence or choices others make can steal energy we should be investing elsewhere. 

Figuring out what to do when you worry too much starts with identifying which problems you should be trying to solve — and which you should try to stop worrying about, if possible. 

3. Let go of problems you can’t solve

When it comes to understanding how to reduce worrying and be happy, know that there is a strong connection between what’s happening in your mind and what is going on in your body when worry takes over. Your thoughts are actually influenced by your nervous system state, which means feeling mentally agitated can translate into your body feeling agitated as well. 

You can interrupt this loop by calming your nervous system with a few effective stress management strategies. Ensure your body is as well-resourced as possible by getting enough rest, eating well, reducing caffeine, and moving your body each day. You can even try this breathing practice to help restore calm. 

4. Reduce the habit of mind-wandering with meditation practice

Our minds naturally wander during the course of a day, but have you ever paid attention to where yours wanders when given free rein? Unfortunately, most of our brains tend toward negative thoughts and ruminating when free to wander. We worry about our loved ones, our careers, our finances, maybe even our health. 

Learning how to not worry about the future involves replacing the tendency to worry with helpful strategies like mindfulness techniques. A meditation practice can be a helpful way to gain control over mind-wandering and instead replace it with calm. Check out my meditations on Insight Timer to try this for yourself.

5. Become aware of unhelpful thoughts

Sometimes you can feel negative thoughts overtaking what you’re trying to focus on at work. When allowed time and space to grow, these thoughts can take over your mind and disrupt your ability to work effectively. 

Each time you allow these thoughts to pull your focus, they grow stronger and begin to crowd out more positive, calming thoughts. It’s a bit like weeds taking over a garden that was once full of beautiful flowers. This is why it’s wise to hone your ability to recognize unhelpful thoughts that influence how you feel. 

When you feel yourself getting stuck in a loop of worry, try this:

• Pause and notice how strong the sense of worry is in that moment (for example, 10% or 50% strength).

• Figure out what thought provoked the sense of worry and write it down (for instance, “My boss has it out for me and I’m going to get fired”).

• Consider if you have any evidence that the worry is worthwhile, and make a list of this evidence that suggests the worry will come true.

• Look for evidence that the worry is unfounded instead, and write down the indicators that it won’t come true.

• Decide on a thought that feels better than the worrisome thought, and that you can realistically believe in, then write this down too.

• Reassess your worry level and see if it has diminished, ranking it with a percentage like you did in the first step.

Bonus tip: Remember that worrying doesn’t help

The next time you’re wondering how to stop worrying and be happy, remember that worrying doesn’t solve problems. When you feel worrisome thoughts forming in your mind, it doesn’t mean you’re a pessimist or doomed to feel terrible forever. 

Rather, it’s a sign to pause, check in with yourself and engage in some of the techniques we just covered. By doing so, you’ll likely feel more calm and focused, less worried, and enhance your mental wellbeing at work.

Ready to worry less and feel more at ease?

I have a free gift for you to help you on your way to calmer, less worrisome days at work.