If any of you have successfully given up worrying...

Grossi You are not alone! I worry about everything and everybody, and I would love to be happy go lucky and carefree.
If only there were a magic solution.
If you're anything like me, you will have given yourself all the 'pep talks' and they won't have made a scrap of difference!

I can actually feel it creeping over me - it affects me physically in that I can feel sick and not want to eat, depending on the level of worry!

I've found yoga can help, but it only stops the worry for the time you're actually doing it, like anything else that takes your mind off it, I suppose...

No help at all, but will await other answers with interest.

I'd like to give up "worrying" and most of all thinking, or maybe over thinking.
Never used to question myself so much but now I am older and had a few
"happenings" along the way I am more hesitant and therefore THINK more.
In the process drive myself mad!!!!!!!!
Yes give pep talk and yes suggestions please.

hell I must be worlds worst, and i keep meaning to do my relaxation cd in fact may this afternoon!! OH IS at work, though supposed be packing for weeknd.
at moment am worried sick about my friend who has to have scan on Fri.

I guess if you are a worrier you are stuck with it, I do try deal with stuff if I can then if nothing can be done try not to STRESS!!!!!!!!!

DEEP BREATHS!!! they say meditation helps never cottoned on to that!!

I try to decide which things are a 'waste of worry' and tell myself to think about the things I can do something about. Doesn't always work, of course, but it helps.
The Serenity Prayer sums it up, whether you are religious or not:
Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

I write my worries down in a special book without making any effort to put a positive slant on matters. I might also write down the best way to deal with a given situation, like making a plan.

Everyone seems to think my tummy problem is due to worry/stress but worrying about it is making me more stressed and worried. I do find a good tv programme pushes out the worrying thoughts [BBC4 most nights] or a good film that makes me think a lot about it. Of course, the best thing is physical activity but I can't do that much these days. And reading which I can't seem to do these days, either.

My anxiety levels were sky high after coping with too much over a few years. Its manifested itself and heavy duty anxiety to the result I even went to Drs who got me on a self help course for it. All well and good but it just gave me all those well worn things that you know all about when you are feeling fine but they go out of the window when you are all het up and anxious.
The one thing that does work for me, and its an effort to do but always works. Whatever the weather - get all the right gear on, wellies, waterproofs etc etc and one mad dog that needs long walks. Go for said walk in the rain, watch daft dog run into hedges, sniffing rabbit burrows and running around in circles. Result is we are both worn out but get fresh air, excersise, work up an appetite AND get a better nights sleep.

When I was a young teenager, I worried about the threat of the H bomb and every cloud was a mushroom cloud. I suppose I worried a bit about my finals at University; but gradually, I came to accept that you never change anything by worrying about it. My mother was the world's worst worrier - she would have been worried about having nothing to worry about. She drove me nuts and if there was ever anything wrong with me I would try to keep it from her. So perhaps that's why I have, for most of my life, seen worry as the enemy. I sleep well. And I'm aware that I may sound smug or possibly insensitive. You would have to ask my family about that.

I am another worrier. Intellectually I know it is a waste of time and energy but nontheless it consumes me and affects my digestive system to a great degree!! I get so angry at myself because I feel at my age I should know it is completely pointless. I try to keep it to myself so it doesn't burden those close to me. My mother always used to say "I am worried to death about you" and it made me so angry that she didn't trust me to sort out my own life!

Wisewoman your mother and mine must have been 'sisters under the skin'.

As soon as I realise I'm not worrying, I start worrying about not worrying.

I have a fear that "worrying" and "caring" have somehow got inextricably linked in my brain. How I wish I could do the second without necessarily having to do the first

Daisy I'm the same! I keep thinking there must be something I should be worrying about.
Perhaps that's why I'm prematurely white haired! I'm not old enough. I'm only 68 I'm really a teenager!

Hello Grossi funny you should ask as I have recently learn't NOT to worry

Basically It DOES NOT HELP and I have finally after many many years of being a full time worrier HAVE RELEASED MYSELF from it and do you know what IT FEELS GREAT.

[Confused] I'd worry about that?

Take action. Sometimes this means getting angry rather than worried. Do something that will make a difference. If you can't make a difference, chuck that and find something that you can make a difference to.

A flippant-sounding answer, but I find that approach does help a great deal. It doesn't mean I never worry, but I think it helps me focus and means I don't worry needlessly.

I suppose it depends what you are worrying about. If it is something over which you have a level of control then do something about it. If I find myself fretting about things I make lists. Those things which I can do something about get ticked off the list, anything else gets written down then shredded. Sleepless nights are occasionally made worse by worrying about work issues, I put those thoughts in an email to myself at work to be dealt with the following day.

Lists make me feel more in control.

I agree in principle with the serenity prayer but in practice it is not that easy. I don't worry about anything I can do something about but there is so much I can't control and those are the things I worry about.

I find it really annoying when someone says "Don't worry about it", how can you control what you worry about? It is was that easy no one would worry about anything. Why don't they offer to help with whatever it is if they think there is no need to worry?

Would life be any better if there was nothing to worry about?

Mey tell us how you did it! It should be as easy as saying I won't do it any more but unfortunately that doesn't seem to work.

When my mother was ill I worried myself sick and could not sleep etc - she had breast cancer and was very bad after the radiotherapy - think now it is not quite so aggressive. Then one day I suddenly realised that there was not a thing I could do about all of this so had to go with the flow and support her and my father as best I could. It was a huge relief and I have never worried so much about anything since.
I do have to have plans A B C and D in place and of course still do worry especially when DS, DD or DGC have something important and try to think of helpful things to say if events do not work out as they hope, but feel I now cope better. The sick feeling and not being able to eat because of the worry is awful and not good for us and does no good really. We need all our reserves when we are worried so I do try - not always successfully - to think positive thoughts!
My mother did in fact live another twenty years after the cancer which surprised the medics, as she was not expected to survive the op at the time, so I always considered those years were a bonus I was very lucky to have and I treasured her.

Getting to 50 removed some of my worries as I knew I would qualify for an immediate pension if I was made redundant.
Redundancy did happen but I took my pension to Birmingham and joined my father in his house as my mothers half had been left to me.
It was a bit heartbraking to have to sell the family home in London but my daughters had settled in the Midlands and they wanted me near them.
Oddly enough they were born in London but as my late wife and myself were from the Midlands I don't think they regarded themselves as being Londoners.
Going back to my pension I now have less income than when I was at work but I know where I am and I know it can not be stopped.
I did get a job which lasted 5 years with Birmingham City Council but I have been made redundant from that job and got another small pension.
I have now inherited my fathers half of the house and I know I am in a comfortable position for life.
Yes it was slightly worrying when an ex lady friend of my father came along demanding the house when my father passed away and about 20 people supported her.
I knew I was legally right and she has no chance of getting the house but it was a slight worry as they might have said she was still with my father immediately prior to his death and had been with him for over 2 years which may have given her some rights to the estate but I had about the same number of people in my street who knew they had split up some time before.
I was however pleased when the house had been fully in my name for 6 months and she had taken no legal action. Even if she had a case it is unlikely it would have been allowed into court after that time.
Her friends are no longer coming up to me saying I had stolen her house.
I think they have now realised she would not get anywhere.

Frank

wisewomen as you have asked...I did not want to say...

I went to The Salvation Army Shop recently and found a few leaflets that broke down Bible verses in a way that can be easily understood.

One of the leaflets was about worrying--After reading it it did actually work because it was a verse from the Bible and I strongly believe in God I took it as Gospel

If you dont believe as I do, Distraction is a very good way to stop yourself from worrying.