Stress and worry seem to go hand-in-hand, yet so many of us refuse to acknowledge their impact and affects. Many of us blow it off, determined to fight through it by telling ourselves that it is not that heavy, or I should be able to handle this. Most likely you can, or I can, but to not listen to our bodies, the science, the evidence, and think “not me” is, in my experience, a mistake. And to be honest, I make that mistake daily. Why?

Because I do not always listen to the common-sense principles I have been taught. Nor do I pay attention to the words I have read that make sense. For example, these words caught my attention a long time ago—"All the worry in the world will never add another day to your life.” And “Control what you have control over…leave the rest to the universe.” Both seem true, but what is the solution? How do I stop worrying? Can I stop worrying? I don’t know if eliminating worry is possible, but certainly we all can cut down on the quantity of things we find to worry about. Most of the time, I worry about things I have no control over, so why do I try to control them when it only continues the worry cycle? 

I know that being aware and having a desire to change my thinking is the key. This solid principle of good mental health is easy to write on paper, but it is hard to bring into practice. Why is that? Because changing behavior is about a process, a commitment, a desire to improve, and it takes practice and more practice. The trick for me is simply to do the best I can. Staying in the moment is so very hard, but staying in the day is manageable. Doing the next right thing and dealing with life as it is presented to me is manageable.  

Falling off a path is a misstep, not a failure. The solution is getting back on the path by taking the actions necessary to keep stress manageable, and to work toward the “don’t worry; be happy” outcome. Isn’t that the common connector we all have? If you are a worrier, if you are stressed, please pay attention. These are stressful times. Change for the good. Take care of yourself. Improve yourself. We are all in this together. 

In peace, love and laughter,

Joe Dunne, Publisher