Worry, anxiety, stress.

Whatever you call it, we all know that worry is a useless emotion, and yet we find it so hard to prevent ourselves from worrying.

Recent studies indicate that people feel greater levels of anxiety and worry than in years past. One surprising aspect to the study were the people who expressed greatly reduced levels of anxiety. What’s their secret?

According to experts, facing our fears is the first step in counteracting negative emotions. By taking control of a situation, we immediately feel better because we have taken action.

The key to success with this approach is not giving up. Once you make a decision to fight your fears, take action against something that worries you, make a pact with yourself that you won’t quit. Quitting in the middle of your effort can result in rebounding negative feelings.

How can you prevent this? Make sure the actions you take are small enough to maintain and big enough to matter. You’ve heard “baby steps” haven’t you? That’s exactly how this works. Ask yourself, “What’s the smallest step I can take to begin to handle this problem?” Then you take that step. This is much more positive than doing nothing.

Be mindful of your life. Mindfulness means living in the moment and experts in mindfulness remind us that living in the present is the only place there is no stress. Stress happens when we concern ourselves about something that has already happened or something that will happen in the future.

Set goals that are achievable. Then establish the steps required to reach those goals. Don’t forget to consider what possible roadblocks you may encounter and identify steps you’ll take to overcome those roadblocks. Setting and achieving goals eliminates worry and anxiety because you’re actively involved in the solution to your problem.

Figure out your money situation. Financial worries top most lists when people are asked about causes of anxiety in their lives. Do you routinely end up with more month at the end of your money? You’re likely overspending and by setting up a budget and sticking to it, you will know that you have the money you need when your bills come due. This might mean you have to give up a few luxuries, but the way you feel when you are in control of your money is more than worth it. Money cannot buy happiness. But, controlling your money can decrease your tendency to worry, which is even better.