Tags
200 words, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, fretting, health, humour, sleepless, stress, struggles, worry
Become a worry-slapper. Treat frets like mosquitoes. ~ Max Lucado
What did she mean by “Your hair looks nice TODAY?”
What if he betrays me?
What if they don’t like my idea?
What if they don’t like me?
What if I screw up that presentation?
What if everything falls apart?
What if I don’t have enough money when I retire?
What if? What if!
You ever have one of those nights where your brain just won’t stop?
I have and let me tell you, it’s not fun to be around me when I haven’t had enough sleep!
I worry and worry and toss and turn and sing LA LA LA LA in an effort to drown out my brain and it keeps coming at me, YELLING at me, warning me, taunting me with endless doom theories and outrageous possibilities!
I’m not talking about the things I can do something about – no!
I lay awake barraged by things that are completely out of my control!
Boy that Max Lucado sure is one smart cookie!
The next time I’m laying awake with worry I’m going to pretend my worry is a mosquito
and SLAP it!!
~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~
talktodiana 
Like that metaphor of discouraging thoughts like a cloud of pesky mosquitoes around one’s head.
We need to carry some cilantro or whatever natural herb to keep them at bay.
LikeLike
something relaxing for worrying like camomile or lavender? 😉 !
LikeLike
Sounds like a great antidote.
LikeLike
A wise man from my youth gave me something to live by…..’What…..Me worry?’ Did you know Alfred E. Newman continues to this day? Somewhat maddening, isn’t it? So little can last for so long?
LikeLike
ha! Well first I had to google Alfred E. Newman and then I got it including the reference to maddening!
LikeLike
Worry slapping is definitely the best name of all time! I love it!
I hate those nights where the worries start with one thing and end with everything – I wish there was worry repellent you could just spray everywhere and be done with it! 🙂
Here’s to a “bug” free sleep tonight!
~Andrea<3
LikeLike
Amen to that Andrea!
LikeLike
Great imagery. . I like the idea of pretending that a worry is a mosquito, and just slapping it.
LikeLike
yeah but I’m just recalling how pesky a mosquito can be in a dark room in the middle of the night… 🙂
LikeLike
And when all else fails, use chemistry to deal with the little buzzing buggers! 😀
I’m rarely kept awake by frets, regrets or bad bets, but sometimes my mind just won’t stop thinking about stuff (to the point I’ve had to sometimes give up, get out of bed and do whatever task my mind won’t let go of — at least these days I don’t have to deal with having to go to work the next day).
I was taught two techniques that never really worked that well for me, but others might have better luck. The first is a conscious relaxation trick. Start with your toes and focus on consciously relaxing them completely. Work your way up until you get to the top of your head. Many report they fall asleep before reaching the head. (I lay there, completely physically relaxed thinking… Okay… Now what?)
The other is to imagine a black circle against a white background. Keep focusing on maintaining the perfect image. A variation is to imagine a blackboard where your thoughts appear. Focus on erasing the blackboard.
Circles, blackboards and mosquitoes… really all the same thing, a mental trick to get you out of your mindset!
LikeLike
a mental trick indeed. I think it works because it’s not us saying don’t think about _________ because saying don’t think about _________ only makes us think more about ________ But these mental tricks as you call them, make us think about something else all together!
LikeLike
How did you know I’d been spending so much time thinking about _________? 😀
LikeLike
At one time or another we all think about _______ ! 😉
LikeLike
True dat! It’s just those days when everything seems to make me think of _______ that drive me crazy!
LikeLike
😉 !
LikeLike
Pingback: Project Optimism | Crazywonderfullife
Two terrible words when used together “what if”……………………..
LikeLike
Yes in this context, but they can be good too, right? For example…what if we work together to make it work…?
LikeLike
I love this Max Lucado quote (and have, believe it or not, never heard it before!) Actually, I love your quote posts! Sometimes it really is as simple as that with frets–just swat them. Splat!
My sleepless issues have less to do with worry these days, and more to do with aging (health quirks happen). And I am no fun to be around when I’m not well rested. So I invented a strategy: (I’ve been told by a number of people that my clock game works). The unforeseen bonus is–it grows brain cells. Really, it does…
http://tracyleekarner.com/2012/11/21/how-to-grow-brain-cells/
LikeLike
sounds fun! I’ve done similar things, although I can’t think of what that was! I already speak French and German, perhaps I should learn to count in Hebrew or Mandarin – that alone should take forever hahaha!
LikeLike
Yea…before it drains the blood out from you!
LikeLike
Way to take the analogy one step further Andy! 😉
LikeLike
Getting my flyswatter ready…
LikeLike
haha! Loving the visual!
LikeLike
😀
LikeLike
Two options. (1) Give up coffee. (2) Imagine yourself as a driver of a bus with these unruly passengers (your thoughts). If you try and throw them off the bus while you are driving it will crash. If you yell and scream at them they will become more of a problem. Remember that you are the driver of the bus so in control at all times. They are not. So instead of trying to ‘swat them’ or push them away, maybe accept they are there and simply ignore them. ‘Hello stupid thought, I see you are back. Well tough, I am going to sleep anyway.’
PS 1. I think the above thoughts or similar constantly.
PS 2.The method described above does not always work, but sometimes it does.
PS 3. The ‘bulldog therapy’ (above comment) of reading a book is probably the other one that works for me too.
PS 4. Is there really a “he” that may betray you, or were you simply giving us a hypothetical?
LikeLike
Regarding PS4. The he was an issue many, many years ago. All of them were true at one time or another.
Speaking of He’s: My daughter posted something on facebook this morning that made me laugh, it read something like: Sure I say I want a boyfriend, but what do I do with him? Kiss him and stand him in a corner somewhere? Does it eat???
LikeLike
Out of the mouths of babes as they say (even though a babe no longer). I am sure her words echo many a woman’s sentiments on the topic! 🙂
LikeLike
Agreed! 🙂
LikeLike
This happens to me every night… so I read in bed, maybe just a page… the trick is being able to put the book down, switch off the light and fall asleep before the brain starts again… if I’m not fast enough, light on book up and start from the beginning again…. it is freaking horrible and I can’t find the off switch button in my brain…
LikeLike
Every night?? Wow! Here’s hoping you sleep like a baby tonight!!
LikeLike
La La La La
LikeLike
hahaha!
LikeLike