In the last marketing meeting I had, one of the topics we talked about was worrying over certain aspects. While one of the members is a marketer, she also deals with some freelance writing as well.
We talked for a while on certain things that our clients have gotten us to do and how it doesn’t make sense. As people who stay on top of our respective industries, we do know why they’re asking.
However, it’s more of a question of why do it this way.
For example, some of the clients she’s taken on have asked her to copy and paste snippets from Google and put them in the posts.
She understands why they asked that (higher rank authority in Google), but it doesn’t make sense. Not only is it stealing someone’s work, but it doesn’t allow the writer any freedom on writing.
It wouldn’t be a problem unless the client in the past has stated certain virtues. Like they allow writers to express themselves freely. Or that they want original content.
I’ve also had a client similar to this. They wanted the answer to a query answered in the second paragraph.
This would be alright in some situations. But not for this client. Because they want me to entice the reader in the third paragraph. Furthermore, the articles are 1000+ words.
I could be blaming Google for making a change like this. It does lead to these unusual demands which does affect my own writing.
But over the years of dealing with this and learning about myself, I’ve learned something valuable: Don’t be worrying over these details.
Worrying Less Saves Energy
That isn’t to say that there is nothing in the world we shouldn’t worry about. There are definitely some things to be worrying over. Dealing with poverty, climate change, our own health and safety, our loved ones, and more.
But life tends to throw these changes at us that get us to worry about small details.
The change that Google made to favour certain structured content gets people worrying about their content in the future. The thing is, Google ranks pages through hundreds of SEO factors. Adding one more to the mix won’t be that impactful.
In other cases it can be someone being cross with us or that you’ve applied to something. We naturally worry about how this person will view us in the future. Or we’ll be worrying about whether the application got through and we’re picked.
But even if these are natural reactions, we can control those instances. How we can do that is to reconceptualize worrying and the scenarios we encounter.
First, Associate Worrying With Energy
When we worry less, we’re saving energy. Therefore worrying spends energy and time. You’re more focused on those external pressures that you’re not able to do other things properly or as effectively.
Even though it’s a natural feeling when you think of it as energy you can steer that worrying energy. The key strategy is putting your worrying towards something more productive.
Instead of worrying over how someone thinks of you, think about how you can make amends. Use your energy to further understand yourself and the other person. Develop empathy. It goes a long way.
Second, Compare It To Your Life
All of our lives are grand. They are massive in terms of time. Think back over a few years and you realize just how much you’ve done in that period of time.
While I’m not big on comparing in most cases, it can be helpful in scenarios like this. In this case, what you are worrying about right now can be small in the grand scheme of things.
Especially if you are aware of facts or have information.
Case and point: the change Google made is worrying to some extent. As a writer, I’ll have to be more conscious of the content I’m creating. But I’m not going to change every aspect of it.
I won’t try to make snippet-worthy content. I’ll let them happen organically.
This strategy is helpful because it often waters down the things that we’re worried about. It serves as a reminder of how much worry we should put into the things that life throws at us.
And while this strategy can serve selfish purposes, I’d argue it can be a display of empathy as well. In cases where others are involved, this degree of self-analyzation can still account for others too.
In order for us to not worry about something, we have to understand the significance of it in our own lives. This can involve us having to be more empathic and understand other possibilities beyond our circle.
Worrying Over Something Doesn’t Solve It
Spend enough time understanding people and emotions and you begin to notice something:
There are so many emotions that cause us to stop our momentum.
Worrying is one but things like doubt, hesitation, procrastination, and many others get in the way.
I’m not going to tell you to just power through those emotions. These are part of us. They can’t simply be crushed completely or be overcome by “pull you up by your bootstraps” strategies.
It requires time, patience, understanding, and a system that works for you.
One good part of that system I believe is this: We have so many emotions or aspects of ourselves that cause us to stop.
With that in mind, it’s easy for us to think we need a more active approach.
The strategy I mentioned above can help in that regard. Watering down your worry and thinking of solutions is active thinking rather than reactive thinking.
You can go a step farther by initially reminding yourself to go for that active thinking. Whenever you’re presented with a scenario you begin by asking yourself questions:
- How does this affect me?
- How worried should I be?
- What can I do now to make this situation easier to handle?
- What knowledge can I tap into in this instance?
Questions bring us understanding when they’re worded the right way. When they’re active, they prompt active answers. So don’t be afraid to prime yourself by asking active questions to yourself.
Don’t Be Worrying Over Everything
Worrying over every detail in your life isn’t going to do you much good. That doesn’t mean you should ignore potential issues. Rather give it the attention that it deserves.
If you feel like you’re slipping on certain habits, give yourself a pep talk. Present some reasonable measures for yourself. Look for things that could help you out.
If you’re worrying over external pressures, try to be more empathetic. Get a better understanding of the situation and why it’s concerning.
And if you’re worrying over something that you have no control over, give yourself a pep talk. Get yourself to put that energy into something more constructive.
These things do take time to get over and you can still get caught up worrying over small things. It’s human after all. But these things can be controlled when you have more emotional mastery.
To your growth!
Eric S Burdon