Worrying has never helped anyone — stop wasting your time

By Klaus Döring

Life is better than ever, so why does everybody seem to be unhappy? As a regular reader of this column, you surely remember this topic, which I have already raised several times.

I often find that keeping myself busy and working out helps me relieve stress, worry and frustration, allowing me to:

Think about the true significance of issues in the long run with a clear mind.

Rationally think about next steps and action plans to reduce stress, which in turn reduces worry.

Give myself realistic timelines to complete tasks and hold myself accountable for execution.

Whenever I hear people saying that things have turned so bad nowadays, I think of my late LOLA, born in 1899 (!) into a really awful world in Germany and its surroundings. Also, the so-called “Golden Twenties” between two world wars were anything but golden for her and my former relatives. Lola never complained, even during the sorrowful times in the former East Germany, the “German Democratic Republic.” Lola reached the ripe old age of almost 86.

We hardly count our blessings. We enjoy counting our crosses. Instead of gains, we count our losses. We do not have to do all that counting — computers do it for us. Information is easily had.

Facebook to and fro, back and forth, there and back — how many posts and comments have already been posted about sadness, loneliness, boredom strikes, problems and worries … .

Just remember this: Opportunity does not just knock — it jiggles the doorknob. And “your social media online friend” — the warrior — is with you day and night, at every corner, following your every step. Complaining and grumbling are good excuses, right?

Is social media bad for us? Three billion people, around 40% of the world’s population, use online social media — and we are spending an average of two hours every day sharing, liking, tweeting and updating on these platforms, according to some reports. That breaks down to around half a million tweets and Snapchat photos shared every minute. Stress, mood, anxiety, depression, sleep, or better, non-sleep, self-esteem — overall, social media’s effects on well-being are ambiguous, according to a paper written last year by researchers from the Netherlands. However, they suggested there is clearer evidence for the impact on one group of people: Social media has a more negative effect on the well-being of those who are more socially isolated.

Imagine, we have time and opportunities to do almost anything. So why have we not done it? We have freedom from bondage or restraint, every one of us in his or her own special, unique way — but we are still our old inferior selves.

The job is boring. I do not get a good job. The house is an unpleasant mixture of tidy and dirty things. It is a mess. I am not in the mood to arrange my garden. I cannot afford a gardener. That is life. How sad. No, it is not my fault; of course not.

The whole world is an awful place filled with dreadful and horrible negativism. Yes, I confess, I am also surrounded by many worriers who put their fears into me. Politicians, many times, love to search for some grave alarm that will cause individuals to abandon their separate concerns and act in concert, so that politicians can wield the baton. Calls to fatal struggles and fights are forever being sounded.

The overbearing person who tyrannizes the weak, who wants to domineer and to bluster, is nothing else than a worrier who claims to be a friend. But he is not. Really not! The bullying of fellow citizens by means of dread and fright has been going on since Paleolithic times. The night wolf is eating the moon. Give me silver, and I will make him spit it out.

Well, when will we start counting our courage and not our fears, or enjoy life instead of our woe? Worrying itself is pointless. Of course, no society has achieved perfect rules of law, never-ending education or uniquely responsible governments. Let us seek out the worries but avoid the warriors, because they try to avoid liberty.

If you are still worrying right now about something, try reading Jeremiah 29:10-14 or Revelation 21:1-8, just to mention these two. It works.

Constant worrying, negative thinking, and always expecting the worst can take a toll on your emotional and physical health. It can sap your emotional strength, leave you feeling restless and jumpy, cause insomnia, headaches, stomach problems and muscle tension, and make it difficult to concentrate at work or school.

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Email me at doringklaus@gmail.com, or follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn, or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.