How to Stop Worrying: The #1 Skill to Stop Anxiety & Master GAD 14/30

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In this video, individuals seeking to learn how to stop worrying and start living are offered a practical guide to differentiate between unproductive worry and constructive problem-solving. The video explains that worry is a natural but often maladaptive part of the brain's problem-solving process and suggests scheduled worry as a technique to help manage it. This involves setting aside a daily period to focus on worries, thereby confining them to a specific time and place, which is an exercise in how to stop worrying and start living. By practicing this technique, viewers are told they can expect to reduce their overall anxiety significantly, as it trains the brain to set boundaries on worry, leading to more worry-free moments throughout the day. The video aims to empower viewers with the skills to redirect their attention away from chronic worry and towards living a more engaged and fulfilling life, highlighting the journey of how to stop worrying and start living.

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

[sweetjane]

"Our brain is designed to keep us alive, not to make us happy."" 🙂Good point.

[denisepiper]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worried about not worrying 😂

[Differentmoons]

I can’t even tell you, how many times I’ve panic logged onto YouTube and listened to your channel & by the time I’ve watched your videos, I feel instant calm and relief. Thank you for being who you are. Not all of us can afford therapy or are too nervous to try it, but your videos have truly helped me.

[kittysassafras]

4:19 “Your brain subconsciously believes that worrying prevented bad things from happening.” I’ve been trying to overcome this exact false belief ever since I realized it was something I felt. The idea of letting go of certain worries scares me because then if the bad thing happens, I’m unprepared and unable to prevent it. It’s validating to know that this isn’t just me.

[ConnieKelsey]

I learned the "worry time" habit 40 years ago in Sexual Abuse Group Therapy. I chose 5pm to 5:05pm. Eventually, worrying became detached from emotion, got bored and went away. I still set the time aside, but I found I can take the emotion out of any new worry and figure out what to do about it. It's one of the best life skill to have. When people say that nothing phases me, I say, "Only from 5 to 5:05."

[macsarcule]

For some of us, someone very early in our lives taught us that when bad things happen, it was our fault. “You weren’t careful, you didn’t think things through, you trusted the wrong people, you didn’t listen, etc etc.” And these things were reinforced with shame and/or punishment. Trauma cycling on trauma. It’s valuable to work on this with a therapist too. Much peace to all. ✌️😌✨

[qstorm]

I’ve had anxiety, the debilitating kind. I learned that labeling it generalized anxiety disorder was very counterproductive. Made me feel like I had a life sentence and I was permanently broken without any cure. Therapy, meds didn’t help because I identified as an anxious person. I ended up using the acceptance method and I gave my mind and body the time to recover. Eventually my intensity gradually decreased till I felt like myself again.

[Chris-fmtn]

You are one of those rare, rare individuals who actually care about people and do this to help. You really are a role model. Smart, ethical, creative, natural, unique, calming, rational but empathetic. Congrats! ❤🎉

[nalin]

My therapist was great.
She explained that worry is trying to solve hypothetical problems with hypothetical variables. This can be exhausting!! She said if the variables are real and now, then go ahead and solve the problem. But if the variables are hypothetical, don't attempt to solve the problem!

I've been attempting to solve hypothetical problems for years and years and burned myself out! It's hard to stop this but she has given me some helpful strategies which I have to keep practising so I become better at not worrying.

[treesart]

Yes, I've noticed this. When I don't worry for a moment, my brain will bring up things to worry about. I actually have urgent problems to worry about, believe me. But the anxiety keeps me from actually solving those problems because I'm afraid to face them. My brain thinks that I'll forget about them if I don't constantly worry and feel on edge, so in the end I stay in the anxiety all the time.

[janicetribbiani]

I remember worrying all the time since I was very young in elementary school. I worried about getting in the wrong school bus line, missing the bus, getting on the wrong bus, missing my stop, not getting a seat, having to sit in the back, missing school, forgetting homework, losing my younger siblings, and the worries have grown the older I've gotten. I worry over things I have no control over and worry that maybe I should have control over them. It's so stressful~ I hope that these techniques can help me cope with being such a longtime worrywart.

[amirrichaun]

This seems really promising. I just set a reminder for every day, after school @2:40 and I labeled it “Ready. Set. WORRY! 🏁"

[bonganimathebula]

Worrying is one of the biggest challenges in my life, boy it takes so much energy, I'm always tired when I'm in that state, thank you very much for this video

[theumbrellaintherain]

For a long time, I thought distraction would help me with my worrying. But I only worried more. And I had multiple mental breakdowns. This video helped me realise that distraction will never help. So, thank you!

[hollybusey]

“Our brain is designed to keep us alive, not make us happy” is so powerful, and not something I’ve consciously realized before.

[popcornanytime]

I had to do this with grief. Grief was so overwhelming until a friend taught me this trick.

[Sofiv]

I have thoughts like that too: things are going so well, it’s bound to change soon.

[travisvanalst]

Going through a huge anxiety attack attack a week ago. I’ve barely slept. Thats what I worry about. Sleeping again. But this is teaching me to try to let go of that. After falling asleep nearly 30seconds after my brain would shoot awake. Hopefully with good sleep hygiene and schedule I can get my sleeping on track.

[rijd]

I found out later in life that I had General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). When the doctor told me, I was actually relieved...because for much of my life I was blaming my self for worrying too much. I was on a mission then to become less anxious. Went to therapy, learned about boundaries...the hardest part was overcoming the anger I was having toward my family for putting me through experiences and environments that conditioned me for anxiety. "Don't worry. Take it easy"...looking back, I couldn't believe they said this while at the same time doing...well, I won't go there. Any way, therapy and things like mindfulness and self discovery have helped, but i take steps back at times unfortunately, the books 30 Days to Reduce Stress by Harper Daniels, Awareness by DeMello, and The Body Keeps the Score by Kolk...I like those. Journaling has also been a life saver when I get the motivation to do it.

[Franklin-j]

Im a veteran dealing with PTSD, GAD, and thank you. You vids are more helpful than the VA.