“If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today” – Joseph Cossman.
Worrying does not just automatically stop when someone suggests that you stop. Something else needs to happen. You need to be able to tell yourself not to worry, and this requires you to have a certain amount of control over how your mind is working.
Hearing from someone else that you shouldn’t worry gives you the idea that for others, the thing you are worrying about is not necessarily that worthy of worry. You may even feel that things won’t turn out so bad when you are reassured by another. But to take control of your mind, to actually train your mind to not get stuck in loops of worried thought, that can be a harder thing to achieve and it requires a focus on mental fitness.
Research has emerged that is suggesting a possible link between chronic worrying and the likelihood of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is just one very important reason why mental fitness training needs to become a focus in people’s lives. Researchers at the Epidemiology Department of Michigan State University have found, while studying participants over a number of years, that those who were prone to worrying a lot over everyday occurrences as children were much more likely to develop symptoms of PTSD after a traumatic event. The statistics indicated clearly that chronic worrying is an indicator of vulnerability to developing PTSD, rather than the chronic worrying being a feature that develops as a result of the trauma.
We can’t necessarily avoid the trauma that happens on the journey our kids will make through life, but there are things we can do to better prepare the next generation to meet trauma with resiliency. Tuning in to how much worrying children do is the first good step in helping them take control of minding their mental health. This is a key part of mental fitness training, but it is only a first step.
If the child has a natural propensity towards worrying, you can guide them to an alternative way of thinking – not by saying not to worry but by increasing their own awareness about what thinking is behind the worried feeling. To explore with them what the thoughts are that are causing the worry and then to look at the evidence to suggest that the particular thought is not essential. For example, a child who is worried about what may happen in the schoolyard could be feeling worried because something difficult happened in the yard the week before. By exploring the child’s thoughts around this, they may be able to come up with a strategy to deal with the particular situation and then will begin to develop a belief that is along the lines of ‘I am able to problem solve.’
If this belief becomes strong over time, mental fitness increases. It is worth learning about and focusing on mental fitness because a fit mind keeps kids psychologically safe.
Anne McCormack is a Systemic Psychotherapist who works with adults, adolescents and children who may be experiencing depression, anxiety, eating disorders, relationship difficulties, self-esteem issues, post-traumatic stress or suicidal ideation.
For simple tips to increase mental fitness, follow Anne on Twitter @mentalfitnessXX
