The Worry Game

Don't let your worries feed.

We become anxious and stressed because we don't know what's about to happen. It could be something as simple as:

worrying about getting fired from a job

Worrying about how your going to pay your bills

worrrying about going to war

. Worry is one of the most common emotions we experience because we naturally fear the unknown.

Worry isn't always bad. It can help us stay prepared and ready for unexpected situations. The problem starts when we feed it with negative thoughts, doomscrolling, and imagining the worst possible outcomes. Before we know it, we're wasting time and energy feeding our Worry Worm instead of living our lives.

The truth is, we can't completely get rid of worry. It's part of being human. But we can learn to control how much attention and energy we give it.

I've been studying ways to manage negative thoughts for a while, and honestly, a lot of the advice I come across feels too academic or too general. I often hear things like "Just don't worry" or "Just because something could happen doesn't mean it will happen." But telling someone not to worry doesn't teach them what to do when their mind won't stop.

That's why I decided to develop a micro-game to help me manage my worrying thoughts and protect my peace. If you struggle with overthinking and worrying too much, give this game a try. It might help you too.

The goal is simple: Stop feeding your Worry Worm before it grows into dread and fear.

The Worry Game

Train your awareness. Escape your thoughts. Release your worries

Train your awareness to catch negative thoughts before they pull you down a rabbit hole. Instead of letting worry take over your attention, use this game to bring yourself back to the present.

1. Detect the Worry

Bring awareness to negative thoughts from worry that create anxiety, stress, or negative emotions.

2. Breath Colors and Shapes

Inhale and hold your breath for 5 seconds and scan your environment.

For each second, name a color you see

example

1- white, 2- blue, 3- red, 4- black, 5- orange

or name a shape of the objects and items you see

example

1- circle, 2- star, - 3-circle, 4-square, 5 - triangle

3. Clear your mind

Slowly exhale and relax to clear your mind of thoughts and emotions

4. Detect and repeat

If you're still feeling overwhelmed by your worries, repeat the game when needed

How It Works

The Worry Game gives your mind something else to focus on when you're caught in a spiral of negative thinking. Searching for colors and shapes redirects your attention away from worrying and brings you back to the present and what's happening around you.

Give it a try

The important thing is to be honest with yourself. Recognize when you're feeling anxious, scared, or embarrassed. Pay attention to those imaginary scenarios you create in your head to justify your worries, especially when you're imagining things that haven't even happened.

Remember: Just because something could happen doesn't mean it will happen. Don't let your imagination turn uncertainty into your reality.

Give this mental micro-game a try or modify it to fit your needs. The main idea is to recognize when you're spending too much time inside your head, step away from those thoughts, and give yourself a chance to clear your mind.

Don't feed your Worry Worm. It will drain your energy and grow into fear and dread.

If you enjoyed this game, check out more mental micro-games, books, planners, and creative tools at Javontae Cooper Design.

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases