The Worries: Sohal Finds a Friend

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If you worry excessively, it can seem like negative thoughts are running through your head on endless repeat. You may feel like you’re spiraling out of control, going crazy, or about to burn out under the weight of all this anxiety. Another important element in making The Worries was humour. I wanted worries to be depicted not as something to be feared but as something that can be funny. Let’s face it, laughter is cathartic and children have a brilliant sense of humour. It’s another tool in our mental health toolbox. Also, when I think of my family and friends and how particular their worries are to them (no two worries are ever the same!) I think of them as endearing more than anything else. If we took away a person’s anxieties, we’d also be taking away part of their personality. So what if we had this similar ‘friendly’ approach to our own worries? What if we stop trying to get rid of our worries but try to befriend them instead? As Sohal discovers, trying to ‘get rid’ of worries only makes them grow. It’s only when he starts to let them hang around and show them to people that they eventually start playing and…well, I won’t spoil the ending of the book for you! It may seem like a simplistic solution, but talking face to face with a trusted friend or family member—someone who will listen to you without judging, criticizing, or continually being distracted—is one of the most effective ways to calm your nervous system and diffuse anxiety. When your worries start spiraling, talking them over can make them seem far less threatening. Any information about a treatment or procedure is generic, and does not necessarily describe that treatment or procedure as delivered by Bupa or its associated providers.

Get up and get moving. Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment because it releases endorphins which relieve tension and stress, boost energy, and enhance your sense of well-being. Even more importantly, by really focusing on how your body feels as you move, you can interrupt the constant flow of worries running through your head. Telling yourself to stop worrying doesn’t work. In fact, trying to do so often makes your worries stronger and more persistent. This is because trying to “thought stop” forces you to pay extra attention to the very thought you want to avoid.

Steps and strategies to tackle your worries

So imagine her surprise when a host of furry, fretful friends arrive to cause some serious mischief. That's right, it's the Worries - gloomy Loner, nervous Change, pushy Jealousy and DJ Disaster, always waiting for something to go wrong. Personalization. Assuming responsibility for things that are outside your control. “It's my fault my son got in an accident. I should have warned him to drive carefully in the rain.” How to challenge these thoughts Research shows that while you're worrying, you temporarily feel less anxious. Running over the problem in your head distracts you from your emotions and makes you feel like you're getting something accomplished. But worrying and problem solving are two very different things. While negative beliefs, or worrying about worrying, adds to your anxiety and keeps worry going, positive beliefs about worrying can be just as damaging. Positive beliefs about worry

Hypothetical event worry. Hypothetical event worries are about things which have not yet happened, but which might happen in the future. People with GAD tend to ask more “What if … ?” questions, and to worry about unlikely and remote future events. Their hypothetical worries often ‘chain together’, for example: notices daughter has a rash on her arm > "What if it’s meningitis?" > has image of daughter lying in hospital in intensive care > "I couldn’t bear it if she died" Imagine Sohal's surprise when he wakes up the next morning, and finds a set of funny furry friends at the end of his bed! His worries have come to life, and it's not long before Hurt, Fail, Anger, Big and Alone have turned his world upside down. Now it's up to Sohal to work out how to keep his worries under control - and have some serious fun while he's at it . . . About This Edition ISBN: What’s the probability that what I’m scared of will actually happen? If the probability is low, what are some more likely outcomes?Meditate. Meditation works by switching your focus from worrying about the future or dwelling on the past to what’s happening right now. By being fully engaged in the present moment, you can interrupt the endless loop of negative thoughts and worries.

Only Frasers Group (203.48%) and Ashtead Group (177.46%) have beaten it over five years, but their progress has been more stop-start. One reason is that 3i Group knows what it’s doing, having invested in early-stage growth companies since 1945. Nothing relieves stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Working with pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety. Tip 6: Practice mindfulness Write down your worries. If an anxious thought or worry comes into your head during the day, make a brief note of it and then continue about your day. Remind yourself that you’ll have time to think about it later, so there’s no need to worry about it right now. Also, writing down your thoughts—on a pad or on your phone or computer—is much harder work than simply thinking them, so your worries are more likely to lose their power. Catastrophizing. Expecting the worst-case scenario to happen. “The pilot said we're in for some turbulence. The plane's going to crash!” You don’t need to sit cross-legged, light candles or incense, or chant. Simply find a quiet, comfortable place and choose one of our free audio meditations that can guide you through the meditation process.

About Jion Sheibani

Make a list of all the possible solutions you can think of. Try not to get too hung up on finding the perfect solution to a worry. Focus on the things you have the power to change, rather than the circumstances or realities beyond your control. Set Worry zones or postpone your worry to take control of your worry & discover that you don't need to worry all the time. The Motley Fool Ltd. Registered Office: 5 New Street Square, London EC4A 3TW. | Registered in England & Wales. Company No: 3736872. VAT Number: 188035783. This information was published by Bupa's Health Content Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals and deemed accurate on the date of review. Photos are only for illustrative purposes and do not reflect every presentation of a condition.

But then imagine Sohal's surprise when he wakes up the next morning to find a set of funny, furry friends at the end of his bed!

Here are the opening lines of the book: «Sohal was full of worries. He had been for as long as he could remember. His parents and teachers often called him ‘a worrier’, but he wasn’t really sure what that meant. It didn’t sound good, though, and this made Sohal worry even more.» There are a million reasons why it’s not good to label children as worriers (and so much harder to avoid than we think!) but neuroplasticity is definitely one of them. We can all learn to modify our experiences and memory of worries, so no one is ‘a worrier’ for life. Look how robust we and our children are at dealing with a global pandemic?! Yes we all have our dark days and there are people out there having deeply traumatic experiences right now. But what I am constantly astounded by is just how resourceful we humans can be. In children’s mental health week, let’s show this to our kids. Let’s do this by starting a mental health conversation now with them . And where better a place to start than stories?! You may believe that your worrying helps you avoid bad things, prevents problems, prepares you for the worst, or leads to solutions. Maybe you tell yourself that if you keep worrying about a problem long enough, you’ll eventually be able to figure it out? Or perhaps you’re convinced that worrying is a responsible thing to do or the only way to ensure you don’t overlook something? The step-by-step guide helps you work through the worry tree infographic above. What are you worrying about?