Don't worry, be happy (and how to do it)

[fimm]

Actually I worry quite a lot. In fact, I've come to the conclusion that I worry far too much, and I'd like to do something about it. So I'm after suggestions for self help books/websites/techniques/whatever that might help me develop a more positive/less anxious mental attitude.

I've deliberately left this quite vague as I'm hoping that will lead to a nice wide variety of suggestions. I'm capable of reading and evaluating stuff and deciding for myself what might help me and what might not.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

This is an NHS funded site that is very good http://www.llttf.com/

I think everyone should study CBT to some degree or other, that and learning about 'mindfulness' are incredibly useful lifetools.

 

[Brandane]

This is supposed to help. Allegedly.....

 

[Beebo]

This is supposed to help. Allegedly.....

Yeah, but be warned, she's only 28 years old!

 

[tyred]

Meditation or mindfulness. Both techniques helped me enormously.

I'm fortunate enough to have Meditation classes happening a few doors up the street from where I work but meditation classes are common enough in most areas if you look for them. Being able to empty the mind is a skill worth learning (although there are those who would say my mind was always empty).

 

[icky]

Sounds to me like your worrying to much about worrying and that's a worrying thing

 

[tyred]

There is also a great book called fark it which basically explains how to develop a fark it attitude to everything in life.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

There is also a great book called f*** it which basically explains how to develop a f*** it attitude to everything in life.

That looks great! I just bought it!

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I also found this book really useful http://www.amazon.co.uk/Self-Confid...id=1389722443&sr=8-3&keywords=self+confidence

 

[02GF74]

There is also a great book called f*** it which basically explains how to develop a f*** it attitude to everything in life.

I was lookingto buy that book but then thought .... ahh fark it!.

 

[Moodyman]

It's only worth worrying about stuff you can do a something about.

There's nothing anyone can do about an impending storm, but we can all take shelter, board up our homes, etc.

Put 'problems' behind you and seek out 'solutions'. A lot of psychological conditions (stress, anxiety and depression) can be averted/mitigated by 'attitude'.

 

[tyred]

A lot of stress can be removed very simply. Look at people travelling to work for example - panic, panic panic in many cases. Leave ten minutes earlier and problem solved by having a relaxing journey.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I got a new client today and we were both talking about how being an employee appears to be quite a negative thing for ones mental health.

As as sufferer of occasionally crippling anxiety I can say that yes, there are few things in life worth making your self worried sick over, but that's easy to say when you're not in the grip of the irrational bindweed that is anxiety. However, it does get better. As mentioned earlier, in most cases dealing with mental health is like training your brain. However, there are of course times when we need a little (or a lot) of help.

 

[tyred]

I've done a lot of work on my brain to think positively and it's slowly beginning to work. What shocks me now is how incredibly negative in outlook my parents are. It's no wonder I grew up incapable of ever seeing the positives in anything.

What we are actually trying to do is to undo a lifetime of faulty thinking patterns.

 

[ASC1951]

Meditation or mindfulness. Both techniques helped me enormously.

As Tyred says, very useful skills.
There are any number of good self-help books and websites, but I would begin by eating well and having plenty of exercise and sleep. Then I would abandon newspapers and TV news, which are a prime source of low level anxiety.