Why Worry?

I now repeat this quote to myself several times a day:
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength". 

I sometimes wonder if I am alone in this and then I realize I'm not. If I was, why would people write "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" books? 

I worry about my health if I hear someone else has gotten sick. I worry about a kid I knew years and years ago upon hearing he was in the hospital. I worry that a school friend will ruin all of his talents by picking up drugs again. I worry my life won't turn out the way I hope it will. I worry my boyfriend's family doesn't like me, even though I know they have for the past 8 months or so. I worry so much sometimes about every little thing it makes my head hurt.

How do I...how do we stop this? I realize how stupid it is. I realize there is a difference between caring for people and caring about things and worrying about them. Caring is great, but when it crosses the line over to worry, something should be done. 

I think college kids can be hit with this worry plague the worst. Many of us have jobs, classes, homework, social life, family life, and the list goes on. Our days become a list of things that have to get done and rarely do these lists include things we enjoy. Especially at this time of the year, when the cold traps us indoors. We suddenly have to do everything we normally do and try to avoid the cold weather and dreaded illnesses. 

So just now I decided to google "how to stop worrying". Over TWO MILLION hits came up.

Skimming a few websites and putting my own good mind to use I came up with a few things we can all do to stop worrying. 

When a worry comes into your head, write it down. Create a worry list...while this may seem strange, it will get the worry from your head onto a piece of paper. You can throw it out, save it, whatever...it just may help get rid of the thought.

Challenge your worry. Should you even be worrying about this? Yes, it is nice to worry about someone but is it really your problem? It might not be. If it is someone you care about in the hospital, visit them or send them a card and accept what happens, happens. If you develop an attitude that everything happens for a reason, you will start to see your worries as unnecessary. 

Develop the attitude to "be granted the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and to have the wisdom to know the difference..." If you are worrying about a bad job, try to find a new one. If you are worrying about a test, study more. If you are worrying about how someone feels and you've done all you can, accept that you can't change it and stop obsessing.

Do something to get your mind off things. Do whatever it takes...watch your favorite TV show that always make you laugh, run for a few miles, take a deep breath. Do whatever you can to rid yourself of that feeling and once you've found what works, stick with it.

"Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything."
-Mary Hemingway