What, Me Worry?

We're born with only two fears: the fear of falling and loud noises. All others are learned. It's also been said that 90% of what we worry about never happens. Why then are so many of us plagued with fears, worries and all types of unimaginable stresses? And why can't these happy little facts simply wipe out our fears and worries?

I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. I know that worry isn't good for anyone and yet it's socially acceptable. As a survivor - either of cancer or anything else severe - you often hear "I just couldn't do that." Pre-cancer you may have even said that yourself but now you know that you can. It's empowering isn't it?

So the next time one of those fears or worries sneak up on you and you're tempted to say "Oh, I just couldn't deal with that," pull out your secret weapon. Look fear in the face and say "Yes, I can because I already have."

Quote of The Day

"I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then."
- Lewis Carroll

Out of challenges comes strength. Whether you're dealing with health problems, relationship issues or the current economic downturn, you can find yourself wondering what you can possibly do to get back to yesterday. The bad news is that you can't. Sometimes, that's also the good news.

The reality is that you can't change circumstances, you can only change how you react to them. Don't you just want to slap whoever came up with that? Yeah, me too, but it's true so let's explore some coping mechanisms.

There's Always Chocolate
Everyone slams the media for only reporting bad news but they deserve a Pulitzer for letting us know that dark chocolate and red wine are actually good for us. Now if they'd throw in some butter, potato chips and peppermint ice cream, they might qualify for sainthood.

Name It
Strangely enough, simply putting a name to your feelings can help you cope. Psychologists will tell you to name your feelings - Anger, Fear, Hopelessness - and it helps. While that's true, if certain feelings are regular visitors you might consider giving them more personal names like Ralph, Joe and Trevor.

Exercise Creates Endorphins
The research is clear - exercise creates endorphins which make you feel better. Did you know there are other ways to create endorphins? Rather than sweating on the treadmill you could fall in love and/or have sex. If you're relationship adverse you might consider eating spicy foods like hot peppers, horseradish and wasabi. Laughter can do it, too and it's good for your stomach muscles. Oh yeah, and did I mention Chocolate? There's always chocolate!