11 strategies that can help you stop worrying

First-five(05) strategies that can help you stop worrying
 according to the author of 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.
On a rational level, most of us know that worrying won't accomplish much. And yet it's hardly an effective strategy to simply tell yourself to stop.

To address this gap between what we know and what we feel, in 1948, Dale Carnegie published "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living," a follow-up to his 1936 bestseller "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

The book grew out of Carnegie's experiences teaching adult education courses at the YMCA in New York City. Nearly all his students struggled with some kind of worry, and Carnegie set out to compile the tips they had used to conquer their anxiety.

We read through "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" and highlighted the most practical and least banal advice that's stood the test of time. Read on to find out how to free yourself from everyday fears, so that you have time and energy left to accomplish the things that truly matter to you.

1. Ask yourself, 'What's the worst that can happen?'

There's a simple, three-step technique that can help you think clearly when you're plagued by worry.

First, ask yourself, "What's the worst that can happen?" Second, prepare to accept the worst. Third, figure out how to improve upon the worst, should it come to pass.

The technique is based on an anecdote from Willis Carrier, founder of the modern air-conditioning industry. As a young man, Carrier found that a new service his company provided wasn't as effective as he'd hoped.

Carrier realized that the worst that could happen was that his company would lose $20,000. He then accepted it: The company could qualify the loss as the cost of researching a new strategy. Finally, he figured out how to improve the situation: If the company bought $5,000 worth of new equipment, they could resolve the issue. Ultimately, that's exactly what they did, and they ended up making $15,000 because the additional equipment proved so effective.

2. Gather all the facts in an objective way.

Carnegie suggests two ways to go about collecting facts objectively. You can pretend that you're gathering this data for someone else, so you're less emotionally invested in what you find.

Or you can pretend that you're a lawyer who is preparing to argue the other side of the issue — so you gather all the facts against yourself. Write down the facts on both sides of the case and you'll generally get a clearer picture of the truth. 

3. Generate potential solutions to the problem.

This strategy is especially useful for eliminating business worries. It's based on wisdom from Leon Shimkin, who was general manager and then owner of Simon and Schuster.

Shimkin told Carnegie he cut meeting times by 75% by telling his associates that, every time they wanted to present a problem at a meeting, they had to first submit a memorandum answering four questions: What is the problem? What is the cause of the problem? What are all possible solutions of the problem? What solution do you suggest?

According to Shimkin, once he instituted this new system, his associates rarely came to him with their concerns. 

4. Remember the law of averages.

The law of averages refers to the probability of a specific event occurring — and you should consult the law to find out if it's worth fretting. Chances are good that whatever you're worried about isn't likely to transpire.

Carnegie writes that the US Navy employed the law of averages in order to boost sailors' morale. Sailors who were assigned to high-octane tankers were initially worried that they would be blown up when the tank exploded. So the Navy provided them with exact figures: Of the 100 tanks that were hit by torpedoes, 60 stayed afloat and only five sank in less than 10 minutes, leaving time to get off the ship. 

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

5. Place stop-loss orders on your worries.

This strategy is based on a principle in stock trading. One investor told Carnegie he set a stop-loss order on every market commitment he made.

Here's how it works: Say you buy a stock that sells for 100 dollars a share and set a stop-loss order for 90 dollars a share. As soon as that stock dips to 90 dollars a share, you sell it — no questions asked.

You can use this principle in everyday life. For example, Carnegie once wanted to be a novelist, but after two years of toiling away without much success, he decided to cut his losses and go back to teaching and nonfiction writing.