1. Handling worries as "noise"
2. Handling worries as "signals"

• Stopping the Negative Observer
• Stall tactics that work
• Changing the ways you worry
• Finding enough to worry about
• Summary

HANDLING WORRIES AS "SIGNALS"

When you start worrying, the first thing to do is to distinguish whether these worries are "signals" or "noise."

Are they "signals" that you have a legitimate problem to address or that true danger, or psychological or social threat, lie ahead? Are they alerting you to take some action? If they are these kind of "signals" then you want to pay attention to them.

Or are these worries simply "noise": distractions; repetitious and unnecessary, negative thoughts that make you uncomfortable. If they are noise, then you will need some special skills to stop them from intruding. You want to get that noise out of your head, to clear your mind so that you can have more enjoyable and productive days.

Any concern that you dwell on can be a signal or noise. You have a presentation due in three days; your son is late getting home from his date; you've been experiencing a headache for six hours; you're not sure whether you turned the iron off after leaving for work. If you have been having anxiety traveling lately and if you are considering driving to a new location in a few days, then your mind will probably begin to dwell on the upcoming trip. If these become repetitious, unproductive thoughts, they are worries. But are they a signal or noise?

Remember, worries as "signals" means there is some action we need to take; we can ignore worries that are "noise".

If they are legitimate concerns (signals), we will handle them by studying the problem and taking action. If they are a noisy racket in our head, we will handle them by various techniques that reduce their annoyance. (That's the next section.) The most direct way is to find out if a worry is a signal or noise is by attempting to make these unproductive thoughts into productive ones. In other words, treat all worries as signals until you decide that they are noise. Begin to think in a structured manner regarding your concerns.

When you hear yourself worrying, turn your attention to the details of the worries. Assume they are asking you to take some kind of action. Assume that if they are important enough to be intruding into your mental time, they are important enough to address in a structured manner. Put your worries through these four steps that lead to action.

First, define specifically what the problem is. Sit down with paper and pencil to define the concern and its components -- everything that worries you.

For example, your definition of the problem might be, "I am not prepared for the drive on Friday." List the details under it:

• I'm not sure of all the places to pull off.
• I don't know where phones are along the route.
• I don't know how far it is between those two exits on I-40, and I'm not sure I can handle more than a 2-mile span without an exit ramp.
• What if I have a panic attack while driving?

Second, write down all possible solutions. Take the items on your list, one by one, and generate different ways to handle the concerns. These may include gathering more information, turning to experts or other knowledgeable people for advice, recalling your learning's from past successes, practicing skills. It can also include courageously taking actions even though you are uncertain of the outcome.