I usually write on a new topic each week, but this worry thing is the real deal! So many of us Mamas struggle with worry. The good news is, there are countless evidence-based solutions that tell us how we can stop this no-good worry thing!
That leads me to the worry jar! Have you tried it? Hold them up, let me see them!
Mama’s worry
I hope that you worked on writing your worries down on your worry jar worksheets or filling up an actual jar this week. (If you missed it, you can read the Worry Jar post HERE)
Let me tell you the truth here. I had a stressful week! It wasn’t that anything bad happened, I just had way too many boxes open in my mind. I had more questions than I had answers, and my mind was absolutely flooded with thoughts. When this happens, my mind runs away from me. I begin to worry!
I’ll let you in on a little secret about worry. When you worry, it consumes your mind and actually makes you less productive. You will be carrying around questions and ponderings so much so that you’ll actually have fewer time and headspace to actually find some answers and solutions to the stuff that needs your attention. Worry works against us! That is why we need to get it out (use those worry jars) so that we can free up our headspace to allow for some more solutions.
I sat down and wrote down everything that was on my mind. My pen didn’t stop for a while, Mamas! When I was done, I had 10 burning questions that were taking space up there. I’ll tell ya what, though. I was able to sleep! I beat it.
I stopped worrying
I was able to stop worrying because now I knew exactly what I was worried about. This was because I took the time to write it all down. It allowed me to gain insight on what actually needed my attention moving forward. It allowed me to see what were junk thoughts that could be thrown out, what needed my attention now, and what could wait till later. It allowed my thoughts to be organized and systematic, rather than chaotic and wild the way they were prior.
Kid’s worry, too
Now that we are all using our worry jars and putting a cap on our own worry. I wanted to share a tidbit this week on why this is uber important. One reason getting a handle on our own worry is so vital is because we can absolutely pass this unhealthy behavior down to our kids.
I did some of my infamous research digging, and listen up to some of these scary facts I found …
Overprotection parenting (yep, that’s all of my fellow helicopter Mamas) make the child more vulnerable to anxiety and worry by increasing the child’s perception of threat, reducing their perceived control over the treat, and increasing their avoidance of the threat.
That is a triple whammy! Basically, that means that when we are the “Worry Wart Mama”, we are
- Making our kids see “danger” even when it’s maybe not there
- Making our kids feel as if they have no control over the “danger”
- Encouraging them to avoid good things to avoid the potential “danger”
Mama, the real danger is what our worry can cause
I think deep down we really know better. We know that God commands us otherwise
When we are fearful and worried, God is ready to give you a double-dose of peace! God wants to bring you peace in every area of your life, and yes, that’s including motherhood. Though the days may be long, and the responsibility may be great, we too can have peace and live a Mama life free of worry. Worry does not have to control you. This week, I want you to tap into God’s peace, and then allow it to flow through you to your children. Be the peaceful Mama!
Reference:
Davey, Graham. The Catastrophic Worrier: Why You Worry & How to Stop. New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2023.