If you are feeling stuck in the what ifs and worries of life, I want you to know that you are not alone. I have been there, big time. As a result, I can go there again everyday. Anxiety can be a beast. It takes constant practice to put it behind you. The great news is that you can overcome it! It takes work, patience, and often some help from a professional, but be encouraged! There is hope for you! The following practices have helped me learn how to live a worry free life and stop the what if cycle. If you feel anxious or you worry too much, read on for the things that have changed my life for the better! I hope this article offers hope to you.
1. Live in the Present Moment
The gift of living in the present moment and to living it to the fullest is perhaps one of the greatest lessons I have learned in my lifetime. The best new is that you can learn to do it too! You can put anxiety behind you if you are willing to get help and put in the work. Learning to leave the past behind and expect the best possible future allows living in the present moment the very best place to be.
It took me quite a while to accomplish this goal, and there have been plenty of bumps along the way. Hey, but that’s ok! We are all human! It turns out that practice really does make perfect! Well, maybe not perfect, but definitely better!
I invite you watch the GREAT NEWS FOR YOU video on this page. Your life can change today!
2. Take a Breath to Stop Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
Stopping to breathe can feel impossible. Like literally impossible. Because when you are feeling anxious and stressed about what is going wrong or even what might possibly go wrong in your life some time in the future, stopping to take a breath feels impossible. IMPOSSIBLE.
Is it anxiety? Are you feeling like your internal engine is constantly kicked into high gear? Or maybe you are feeling that you need constant motion. Perhaps you find yourself rocking and fidgeting. Maybe your hands can’t be still. Or maybe you need noise and distraction to keep your thoughts from racing ahead of you to places you don’t want to go. Pounding heart? Light headed? Panic? Feeling fearful?
Take a Breath?
Take a breath? How do you do that when your chest is tight, your palms are sweating and you feel as if you have been running a race? How do you slow down to breathe when your mind is racing with thoughts of what ifs? What if my loved one dies? What if that person misunderstood and took offense at what I said? What if I don’t get that job? What if I get fired? What if my loved one gets sick? What if no one loves me? What if I never find my mate? What if I have wasted my life? What if my life has no purpose? What if I can’t be forgiven? What if I caused someone else to be hurt? What if I get bitten by a shark someday if I ever decide to try to surf?
3. Stop the What Ifs
The what ifs can go on and on and on. The what ifs can make you miss out on the now. The what ifs can rob you of joy in your life. Most likely none of the what ifs will ever come to fruition. It stands to reason then that learning to stop this cycle of thinking would be worthwhile. I can tell you that it is and I can tell you that it will require some hard work to learn how to live a worry free life and stop the what if cycle.
No One Tries to Worry
No one tries to worry. No one prefers to feel anxious. Life throws things at us that are beyond our control. Sometimes chemical imbalances happen in our brains. It’s ok. You are not alone. You can beat this and you will be able to fully enjoy your wonderful life!
Thankfully worry, what ifs and anxiety can be treated and controlled. Sometimes even eliminated! If you are suffering from anxiety or depression, please contact your doctor or a qualified mental health professional for help. Don’t wait! There is hope for you!
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis call 911 or contact the suicide prevention hotline below
National Suicide Prevention Line 1-800-273-8255
4. Use Breathing Exercise to Decrease Worry and Anxiety
This is my favorite exercise for relieving stress and anxiety. It works so fast and I can use it any time anywhere. If I find myself stuck in a stressful conversation, I can remove that tension by taking that person along with me to my peaceful place. If I am going down a worry pathway in my mind, I can use this exercise to stop and change direction. It’s truly amazing.
How to Breathe Your Worries Away:
- Decide where you want to be. Choose your favorite place on earth. I usually choose one of my 2 favorite beaches. I am familiar with the smells, the sights, the sounds, the feels and the whole 3 D experience. Sometimes I take my family with me. Sometimes I include children playing. Other times it is only me. If you and I are together, I can take us both there without you knowing it. I practice many times each day and when I choose to be on my beach, it is instantaneous, soothing and miraculous.
- Take a deep belly breath. Purse your lips and create the smallest air escape you can. Very slowly and evenly blow through that tiny hole for up to 30 seconds. Picture yourself immersed in your favorite place.
- Listen to the sounds around you. Smell the air. Touch and taste. Involve your senses. When I go to my beach I feel the sun and the warm breeze on my skin. I breath in the sweet freshness of the salty air. I feel the sand the sand beneath my feet. I allow it run through my hands. I let the gentle waves wash over my feet as I take a walk or sit and watch the seagulls and pelicans searching for dinner. I hear the children playing behind me and smile at my husband beside me. Tension melts away and the present becomes as it should be.
Be Consistent!
Do this exercise 3 times in a row and you will feel much calmer, relaxed and ready to enjoy your present situation. Your mind will feel calm and won’t keep running ahead to the what ifs of an unknown future. Life is meant to enjoyed! This breathing practice has helped me learn how to live a worry free life and stop the what if cycle.
5. Start Your Day With Gratitude
Gratitude goes a long way in resetting your mind. If you are stuck in the what if cycle, you are probably familiar with waking to a feeling that something is very wrong. It’s not your fault! Your brain has just become in cycle of going down that pathway. Your mind is in need of a reset. Renewing your mind will have to be practiced many times a day to create a new pathway of thinking. Starting the day with a smile and gratitude tells your brain that all is well. Smiling, (even a fake smiled) signals your brain to release endorphins! So start your day with a smile and a thank you for your blessings. You will feel better! It really works! You can learn how to live a worry free life and stop the what if cycle.how to live a worry free life and stop the what if cycle.
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with youPhilippians 4:8-9
6. Find Your Purpose and Meaning
I am a follower of Jesus Christ I have given my life to Him. He has given great purpose and meaning to my life. He has forgiven all of my wrongs, and He has promised me eternal life. His spirit lives inside of me, helping me to be all that I was created to be. This is all because Jesus took all of our sin ( mine and yours) upon Himself when He was crucified on a cross. Then, because He rose from the dead on the third day and now sits at the right hand of Jehovah God the Father, we too can live forever with Him in Heaven.
Jesus is the perfect, sinless, spotless and living Son of God. He loves you and wants you to have an abundant life even here on this earth. He extends full forgiveness for all you have done wrong. He gave His very life so that you can have life! A life full of purpose and meaning. He offers his grace and mercy freely. You have only to ask Him to come into your life, to forgive you and to be your Lord and Savior.
Watch the GREAT NEWS FOR YOU video on this page to find out how you can have this same relationship with God. A brand new life is waiting for you!
7. Trust God in the Good Times and the Hard Times
A relationship with Christ Jesus does not mean there won’t be bumps along the way. Sometimes minor ones, and sometimes really tough ones. He does promise to never leave and that he will use everything for our good. We can be joyful even in the trying times. Only the true living God can offer that kind of joy. He promises to see us through. We can trust Him completely with our lives and the lives of those we love. See the Bible verses below and be encouraged.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.Deuteronomy 31:6
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
We can lean on our faith in God to help us battle anxiety. Trust Him. Give your life to Him and find true joy and peace in your life.
Watch the GREAT NEWS FOR YOU video on this page to find out how you can have this same relationship with God. A brand new life is waiting for you!
What is the “what if” cycle and why is it so hard to stop?
The “what if” cycle is the mental pattern of constantly projecting into an uncertain future — what if something goes wrong, what if someone is upset with me, what if I fail, what if I get sick? It can go on and on, robbing you of joy in the present moment. The reason it is so hard to stop is that the brain gets stuck in a groove, defaulting to that anxious pathway automatically. No one chooses to worry. No one prefers to feel anxious. Sometimes it is triggered by life circumstances; sometimes it involves chemical imbalances in the brain. Either way, it is not your fault — and the great news is that it can be overcome with the right help and practice.
What are the 7 ways to live a worry-free life and stop the what if cycle?
These seven practices can help break anxiety’s grip and restore peace to daily life:
- Live in the present moment — leave the past behind, expect the best possible future, and make right now the best place to be.
- Take a breath — stopping to breathe feels impossible when anxiety is high, but it is one of the most powerful tools available.
- Stop the what ifs — recognize the cycle for what it is and make a conscious choice to interrupt it before it steals your joy.
- Use breathing exercises — a structured deep-breathing practice, paired with visualizing a peaceful place, can bring fast and lasting relief.
- Start your day with gratitude — beginning each morning with a smile and thankfulness resets the brain and creates a new pathway of thinking.
- Find your purpose and meaning — a relationship with Jesus Christ brings deep purpose, forgiveness, and a life full of direction and hope.
- Trust God in the good times and the hard times — He promises to never leave, to work all things for good, and to carry you through every trial.
How does the breathing exercise work, and why is it so effective for anxiety?
This breathing technique is remarkably simple and works fast — anywhere, anytime. Start by choosing a favorite place: a beach, a forest, a quiet garden — somewhere deeply familiar and peaceful. Then take a deep belly breath, purse your lips, and slowly exhale through the smallest opening possible for up to 30 seconds. While breathing out, picture yourself fully immersed in that place — the sights, sounds, smells, and textures. Involve all your senses. Done three times in a row, this exercise calms the nervous system, quiets racing thoughts, and brings you back to the present moment. The more consistently it is practiced, the more instantaneous and powerful it becomes.
How does starting the day with gratitude help reduce anxiety?
When anxiety has taken hold, waking up with a sense that something is wrong can become automatic — the brain has simply worn a groove down that anxious pathway. Gratitude is one of the most effective ways to create a new pathway. Starting the morning with a smile — even a forced one — actually signals the brain to release endorphins. Pairing that with a conscious acknowledgment of your blessings tells the brain that all is well. It does not eliminate life’s difficulties, but it genuinely shifts the lens through which you face them. Practiced consistently, it rewires how the mind begins each day. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — think about such things. And the God of peace will be with you.” — Philippians 4:8-9
Can faith in God really help with anxiety, or is that too simple?
It is not too simple — it is foundational. A relationship with Jesus Christ brings purpose, forgiveness, and a peace that goes deeper than any technique. He has promised to never leave, to work all things together for good, and to carry us through even the hardest trials. That does not mean life will be without difficulty — there will still be bumps, sometimes serious ones. But knowing that the God of the universe is with you, for you, and working on your behalf transforms how you face uncertainty. Trusting Him completely with your life and the lives of those you love is not a last resort — it is the most powerful thing you can do. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6
