"Worrying makes you suffer twice."

“worrying means you suffer twice”.  

I had mixed feelings initially about the quote because the word “suffer” has such a strong negative connotation, but then I thought deeper about it, and realized that it is intentionally strong to bring attention to the alternative.  The alternative being suffering once.  

There is a lot that happens to us, a lot of it is out of our control, that affects the quality and fluidity of our life.  But why let it upset you twice?  Worrying is proven to increase sympathetic nervous system activation and induce a stronger stress response, which in turn raises your blood pressure, increases muscle tension, and occupies your mind. This can lead to a cycle of sleep deprivation, cognitive difficulties, and compromised health.

Fortunately for us, there is an easy solution to limit worrying. The solution is to choose positivity.  By seeing the better side of stressful situations, you can pay attention to the factors that don’t occupy your mind, eliminating the negative and maladaptive cascade that follows.  At the very least, if you can’t find a silver lining to a situation, try to crack a smile. The simple act will bring physiological benefits that counteract the stress!