The'Worry Tree'

The 'worry tree' activity was initially designed for kids, to facilitate healthy expression of their worries by providing them with a space to talk about it. They sit in front of their printed ‘worry tree’, with their caregiver (parent/therapist/guardian), and write down their worries onto printed apples and later stick it on the worry tree. By pinning it on to the worry tree, the child is relieved of the burden of carrying it with them. This activity is sometimes followed up with a fun coloring session.

The activity gives the child, an opportunity to share and talk about their worries, with their primary caregiver. This enables the caregiver to address these worries, appropriately, with the child.

The worry tree activity in the following section is based on this concept, but is more elaborate to suit the complexities of our lives as we grow older. 'Worry' is the mental distress or agitation resulting from a concern, usually for something impending or anticipated. When we worry we may spend more time, than usual, ruminating on thoughts that may or may not be useful/helpful for us. If this happens often, it may result in us worrying about worrying itself.

The first step is to notice and identify the pattern of worry. If you find that it is excessive and unhelpful for you, it can be useful to separate it in to :

A. Hypothetical Situations

B. Current Problems

Hypothetical situations are your ‘what if’s’. Sometimes we tend to spend our time playing out/thinking about ‘worse case scenarios’ and find ourselves worrying about things that may or may not happen. When we are having these thoughts, it is important to take a step back (physically and/or mentally) and ask ourselves, ‘Is the worst case scenario the only possible outcome? ‘What can I do and can’t do about this?’

Current problems would include concerns and issues that are taking place in the present, for example, your car breaking down (as opposed to you worrying about if ever your car breaks down). In such situations, ask yourself questions like ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ to help create a plan or a list which will help you manage and solve the problem in hand.

The worry tree essentially helps you ground yourself. Instead of only ruminating about the past and/or the future, you bring your focus and attention in the 'here and now'. Having said that, it is important to understand that it's okay to be worried. It is a valid emotion, just as any other. As humans, we are conditioned to think about our past/future and evolve from different scenarios in our lives. But it is also important to be aware of when this pattern begins to repeat itself often and you are unable to control your worries. Reach out for timely help.

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Love and Light!

DISCLAIMER: This blog is created ONLY for information purpose and NOT for self diagnosis. There is a lot more to the concerns we talk about here. In case you identify with these experiences in your or your loved ones life, please reach out to a mental health professional or our team at HerMoveMeant, for further assistance.

#worry #theworrytree #aware #hereandnow #reflectandrelease