Cows are a little bit skittish.
I know this because every time my cousin’s dog goes into the field, the cows run away from him. They don’t like him jumping at their feet. Or maybe they don’t like that he’s so small they can’t see him in the grass.
But here’s the difference between cows and me—when the dog gets a safe distance away, the cows go back to eating, which means they feel safe again.
Meanwhile, when I have a big worry moving about in the grass, I worry and worry about that thing even after it’s a safe distance away.
Too much worry causes anxiety. And too much anxiety causes stress. So I try to let it go like the cow. But sometimes I can’t. And it plagues my thoughts.
So, here’s what a friend suggested I try…
Worrying on Wednesdays.
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and the weekend are for strength and fun. But 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays is for worrying.
Whatever comes up during the week that makes me want to worry, I say to myself: I’ve got plenty of time to worry about it on Wednesday, and then I go back to doing whatever I have to do.
And you know what? This little mind trick is working. I really am starting to worry less.
Someone sent me a difficult email this week and I’m worried about the way I responded. But instead of letting it plague my thoughts, I’m pushing my worry to Wednesday and I’m more like the cow going about my daily business.
“I’ll worry about it on Wednesday,” I say to myself. And the closer I get to Wednesday, the more I realize I don’t actually need to worry because what’s done is done—and that’s the bigger point.
So, what are you worried about this week?
Can you put those worries on hold until Wednesday?
Got a friend who is causing trouble? Got a parent who’s ill and needs a care plan but your hands are tied waiting on siblings to respond? Worried that you don’t know what to do with the rest of your life?
Push the worry off until Wednesday, and, instead, take some kind of action now.
Make a few phone calls, read a book, do something that gets you closer to a goal (any goal–travel writing, photography or other). But whatever you do, don’t worry. Because worrying is for Wednesdays.
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