Worrying is natural. In fact, worry is an evolutionary tendency, since learning from your mistakes helps you not make them again. It’s how children learn not to touch hot things – and how our ancestors learned not to pet the crocodiles! But when contemplating or worrying about your mistakes becomes an obsession, it stops being a survival tool and can actually become harmful. Part of the problem is that our brains tend to use ‘down time’ to process those mistakes.
When your mind has nothing else to do, it reflects on the past, and particularly on those moments from which you’ll benefit from learning. But your body is a complex system. People whose minds tend to circle around the same mistake again and again are at higher risk of eating disorders, depression and heart disease.
One way to jolt yourself out of this mindset is to give your mind something else to do. Get a change of scenery, or at least a change of ‘mental scenery.’ Going for a walk, having a chat or getting stuck in a new task can all help dispel that inner voice.
infographic by: www.netcredit.com
