Worry - how to cope in these times?

Q. I have always been a worrier.  How can I cope with all the new things to worry about in the news, and in my personal life?  There seems to be more to worry about all the time, not easy for one who is a worrier by nature. -- S.L.

A.  You started worrying early because you don't remember when you didn't worry.  Perhaps it started with your birth trauma, when you drew your first breath in trauma.  It only seems like you are a worrier by nature.

First, relieve yourself of the belief that you are a worrier by nature.  It is only an ingrained habit.

Second, choose to occupy your mind with affirmations that promote hopefulness.  Read uplifting books.  Carefully select what you watch on TV.  Choose friendships that help you form new, healthy thinking habits.  Do yoga.  Enjoy nature.  With every exhale, consciously breathe out worry; with every inhale, breathe in peace and hope.

Third, cultivate an attitute of gratitude, which will take the energy you have expended in worry.  Your old thinking patterns will resist at first, but as you continue to make healthy choices, the energy will follow the new paths you are creating.