Are you a "worry wart?" Is that term familiar to you? It is to me but it's been a long time since I've heard it used. I do remember people telling me years ago when something was really bothering me they would say, "Oh! You are a just a real "worry wart". How about you? Are you now or have you ever been a "worry wart."

I don't believe I am a "worry wart" now but some times things do concern me and I may tend to worry about it somewhat. However I've learned most times things aren't worth worrying about. Things usually turn out for the best even though they might not turn out as exactly you wanted them to be. Worrying about things in your life can create unwanted stress.

Stress can create many health problems. Millions of people try to chase away worries by eating too much, drinking to excess, taking drugs only to find out they can't eliminate worry. As a matter of fact, they are usually creating many more health problems than they realize. Stress is a major problem in our society today.

Since this world is so fast-paced now this seems the reason it's so prevalent. Many companies seem to put a lot of pressure on their employees to expect them to excel to a high degree. I believe this not only causes problems for the employee but it could also be detrimental to the company too. I bet you, like I, know people who never seem to worry about anything.

Either they don't worry or they just seem to be able to handle life's problems without creating much stress in their life. So how do they do it? Some have told me what helps them to conquer this is just stay busy doing things or going places.

I have a 96-year-old friend that will attest to that theory. He is going someplace all the time. For myself, since I've retired, I still stay active all the time. I have a daily goal planner that I use to record activities I plan to do everyday. (They are entered in my planner each day before the next day). One of those activities that really helps me relieve any stress I may have is some form of exercise.

In the winter when I'm in Florida I ride my bike for about 30 minutes everyday and use the exercise room facilities too. I've also found that just relaxing in my lounge chair with some soft music playing is a great way for relieving stress.

When I've gotten involved in some intense activity for several hours, I'm ready to relax for a while. Sometimes I even nap a little bit too. Within 30 minutes I can get invigorated and anxious enough to get back to what I had been doing before.

Here's something else worth mentioning too. It's important to take note of what you say in conversations with others and even the self talk you use (that's the inner conversation you are having with yourself). Even this has an influence on your thinking. So what does that have to do with stress? Everything! If your thoughts are basically negative you can bet this will create a high level of stress in your life.

Setbacks in your life can create stressful moments for you too. These might include job promotion refusals, financial problems, family situations, and even health issues. Willie Jolley, a famous author of self-help books says this: It is generally true that "setbacks are part of life" A setback is not the end of the road. It's really "a bend in the road" And only those who crash are those who fail to turn, who fail to change.

I can surely relate to that and have since learned how to handle it now.The result you experience from setbacks could create a negative attitude. Your drive to compete could be diminished, temperaments could flare-up and a host of other things could crop up, too. You could suddenly lose all interest in everything you do. So what do you do about it?

The first thing you need to do is identify those things causing your stress. See if they really are as serious as you first thought. That way you get an even clearer picture of them so that you become more aware of those that are truly detrimental and those that are not. Then the next thing to do is research ways to handle them.

Also analyze them. Get the clearest picture you can of the problem. Figure out ways to avoid them. Go over them. Go around them. Look for an alternate route to handle the problem at hand. Just make a pledge that you will never get defeated in anything you are sriving for. The main thing is, do not give up until you have found a solution. If this means you need "professional help", then get it.

However try to find a professional who can treat you without prescribing drugs. There are many ways to treat this kind of condition without using drugs. Using drugs might even worsen your condition. The negative imput you experience everyday on the TV news, actually does have more negatve impact on you than you reallize.

Researchers have proven this many times. So what's the cure? Either don't watch the news or change channels to something more pleasant. If you don't find anything worthwhile turn the TV off all together. My wife and I have done that often. Don't get caught up in the drug scene either. That never works. Besides that you will end up with a worse problem than before.

I'll leave you with another quote from Willie Jolley that puts everything I said up to now in perspective. Here it is. "A Setback is a Setup for a Comeback! Now is the Time to Make a Comeback."

To your good health,

Sonny Julius

Sonnyj@TheSunnySenior.com

www.AHealthyLifeForSure.com