Anxiety

How to Stop Worrying

Two simple steps to stop worry in its tracks.

Posted April 29, 2025 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

Key points

Worrying yanks you out of the present, and it only produces more worrying.
When you have worrying thoughts, you can stop them from drowning you in anxiety.
In two simple steps: return to right now.

What are you worried about?

Your job? Your health? That thing you said in a meeting yesterday?

You're not alone. But here’s something most people don’t realize: It’s not the situation itself that’s stressing you out—it’s the time travel.

Worry Is Time Travel

Jane is worried about what will happen next week at her oral exam: "What if I quote the wrong source?" John is worried about the email he sent yesterday: "I should have said it all differently." Worrying yanks you out of present moment and flings you into the future (“What if this doesn’t work out?”) or hurls you into the past (“Why did I do that?”). That disconnection from the here and now is what creates stress. Not the event, but your absence from the present.

Years ago, a psychology professor said something that changed my life:

“Worrying is a completely useless activity. It only produces more worrying.”

That truth hit me hard. So, instead of trying to silence the thoughts, I started training myself to come back to now.

The 2-Step Practice That Stops Worry in Its Tracks

This is the method I now teach clients—from students facing test anxiety to CEOs preparing for high-stakes decisions. It’s simple. It’s powerful. And it works.

Exhale: Chances are, you’re holding your breath without realizing it. Let it go. A full exhale sends a biological signal to your brain: You’re safe now. The parasympathetic nervous system kicks in. Your body softens.
Ground: Drop the tension in your body. Feel your feet on the floor, the chair supporting you, the contact with what’s real. This moment, right now, is the only place where life is happening—and where you can act.

You Can’t Stop the Thoughts, But You Can Stop Feeding Them

Thoughts will keep coming. That’s not a problem. The problem is when you believe every thought and let it carry you away.

So train yourself to come back: Exhale. Ground.

Each time you do, you’re strengthening a habit that brings you back to presence—back to yourself.