Hello 2013, Good-bye Worries!

It’s a new year. And you know what that means. Time for a new start! A chance to leave all of my worries behind in the previous year!

But what about the bump on my leg? And the pain in my side? And all of the psychos in the world? And what about...?

As you can tell, the New Year didn’t bring me relief from my worries. Unfortunately, I can’t just snap my fingers and dismiss them because it’s a new year. But what I am proud of is the fact that I did decrease my worrying last year. Yes, I did worry about a bump on my leg and the occasional pain, but I didn’t dwell on my worries as much. Once I started to fret, I told myself everything was okay and there was nothing to worry about. Also, while continuing to practice imagery techniques, I reminded myself that worrying and stress wouldn’t help and would only lead to actual health problems. And I didn’t want real problems to worry about! :-)

Our cat, Mickey!

The New Year did bring my husband and me something - or someone - to worry about. We adopted a kitten! So, as you can probably guess, my concerns have slightly shifted to the cat. What if he doesn’t stop sneezing? What if he has a parasite? What if he’s really not a purebred Siberian and I’m allergic to him? (Okay. So that last one kind of has to do with me. We searched for a Siberian because they supposedly produce fewer allergens, but turns out, we don’t think we were told the truth concerning his breed.) So how am I handling these potential concerns? Well...er....I have to admit that my initial reaction was to think the worst. But coming up with a plan of action for each question has helped me to move on and concentrate on other things like this blog. For example, since Mickey keeps sneezing, I plan to call the vet in the morning. And what if he has a parasite? Well, the vet will know what to do about that, too, if that is even the case. And if we end up being allergic to him, then we have pet wipes that help to keep him clean and reduce the dander. For now, that’s all I can do, right?

And for all of you worrywarts out there, I recommend you read, “I Kill Me: Tales of a Jilted Hypochondriac” by Tracy H. Tucker. A fellow worrywart recommended the novel to me about a month ago, and the protagonist made me laugh - at myself. The female lead thought she had all of these ailments, and it was eye-opening to see her reacting as if the sky were falling. It reminded me things aren’t always as bad as you first believe.

‘Till next time, don’t you worry about a thing (and I’ll try to follow my own advice)!