How To Spend Less Time Worrying, More Time Living
How often do you feel like your body’s in one place but your mind is someplace else… worrying?
Worry is a thief! It robs us from enjoying life in the here and now.
The question is: how can we spend less time worrying, more time living?
One of the main benefits of meditation is that it brings us back to the present moment – each time the mind starts to worry, we use the breath to bring it back to the here and now.
But we don’t always have the time to meditate… and it isn’t a practical solution when we’re on the go in our busy lives…
So here’s an alternative!
The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is fast and can be done anywhere, anytime.
Try it on your commute, in the office, walking down the shopping aisle… no one will even notice!
It uses the five senses to ground you in the present moment.
What FIVE things can you see around you?
What FOUR things can you feel?
What THREE things can you hear?
What TWO things can you smell?
What ONE taste is in your mouth?
Choose to Live in the Present Moment
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique isn’t a magic trick that will abracadabra your worries away.
But it does bring you back to the present moment.
Then it’s over to you. You need to make a choice.
1 – Choose the Present Moment over Trivial Worries
Being in the present moment will help put trivial worries into perspective.
Put simply, you’ll hopefully realise that what you’re doing is more important than what you’re worrying about.
And then you make a choice.
You choose to drop the worry. To live in the present moment.
2 – Choose the Present Moment over Real Worries
But some of our worries are real concerns and it’s just not possible to say that what you’re doing is more important than what you’re worrying about.
Perhaps you’re in a meeting at work, worrying that your child is being bullied at school.
But ask yourself, is there anything you can do about it right now? If not, there’s simply no use in worrying.
With that in mind, you make a choice.
You choose to drop the worry. To come back to the present moment.
Help! I Can’t Drop the Worry!
For some of us choosing to “drop the worry” is easier said than done!
We do try to drop the worry… but our mind keeps picking it up again!
If that happens don’t be hard on yourself – here’s two things you can try.
1 – Repeat the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique
Simply repeat the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Repeat as many times as you need!
I know it’s tough at first (trust me I’ve been there!) but it is possible to re-wire the brain (what scientists call neuroplasticity).
Eventually your mind will learn. It will stay in the present moment for longer and will run away with your worries less.
Think of it like training a puppy to stay at your heel as you walk, rather than running after rabbits.
2 – Enagage with the Present Moment
Another trick is to really engage with the present moment after you’ve done the 5-4-3-2-1 technique.
Even if it’s a mundane task like doing the washing up.
Notice the bubbles. Smell the suds. Feel the polished dishes.
This is the practice of mindfulness.
And Ask Yourself: “What if it all works out okay?”
How often do you worry over things that end up working out just fine…? Or maybe even very well!
And then you wish you hadn’t wasted so much time and energy worrying…
Some of us have a tendency to catastrophise and jump to worst-case scenarios which almost never actually happen.
So next time you’re lost in worry, try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique to bring you back to the present moment.
And if you notice your mind plotting doomsday, simply ask yourself this:
“What if it all works out okay?”
Because more often than not, it does.