Don't Worry, Be Happy!

If only it were as simple as uttering a few words, such as “don’t worry!” or “stop stressing!” Unfortunately, the concept of worry is not so easy to quash, and these matter-of-fact pieces of advice can often hurt more than they help because they ignore the root of the problem. What is that worry about anyway?
 
In Martha Stewart body+soul, experts—a Buddhist psychotherapist and a social-science researcher are two of them—break down worriers into six types. Most likely, you will overlap in some of the types’ attributes, but the goal of learning what type of worrier you are is not to wave a magic wand and eradicate all worry habits. Rather, it is to “better understand where they come from and start seeing—and changing—the effects they have on the way you live.”
 
Do you often find yourself on the receiving end of “stop worrying?” Maybe it’s time to diagnose yourself and find coping strategies that can decrease some of the worries, and increase the chances of finding happiness. [Martha Stewart body+soul]