Is a 20 kg rucksack too heavy? Probably yes, but only if you carry it on your back. If you put it down, it has no weight at all.
The same goes for our worries. We often carry way too much burden in our heads. Why not put them down?
But this sounds too simplistic — if people could, would they not? Surely it can’t be that easy. Not thinking won’t make them go away, will it?
It won’t. But the above questions arise from a fundamental confusion — worrying is not the same as problem-solving. The classic difference between problem-solving and worrying is that the former has an end-point.
You problem-solve for a finite time, decide on the next steps, and then move on. In worrying, you don’t move on; often you get caught in a loop.
While there are no magic bullets, here is a practical guide for handling worrying more skillfully.
– Rajan