Worry is like a rocking chair.

That’s what my grandmother used to say. You go back and forth, back and forth, expending all this energy, but you don’t actually go anywhere.

And she was right.

Worry feels productive. It gives the illusion of control. Like if we just think hard enough, stress long enough, anticipate every possible disaster, we can solve things. Think about it—has worrying ever bought you more time, more ease, more anything?

Nope.

If anything, worry takes from life. It steals presence. It robs peace. It churns in our gut, tightens our shoulders, distracts us from the actual moments we’re in.

So what do we do with worry?

Because telling ourselves not to worry just makes us… worry more.

Here’s what helps:

• Get present. Bring your awareness back to right now. What’s real? What’s true? What’s actually happening?

• Name it. Worry loves the shadows. Say it out loud. Write it down. Give it form. It shrinks when it’s exposed.

• Ask: Is this a problem to solve or a fear to sit with? Not everything is fixable. Some things just need space to be felt, processed, released.

• Take one small action. Not everything. Just something. One tangible step breaks the cycle of paralysis.

• Return to trust. Worry says, It’s all up to me. Trust says, I’ll do what I can, and let the rest unfold.

Worry wants you to sit there, rocking back and forth, wearing yourself out.

But life? Life invites you to stand up, step forward, and walk.

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