Life Coaching - Taming the Befusselbug, The Inner Demon of Worry

The Befusselbug casts an enormous shadow when she scurries through your mind interjecting worrisome thoughts about the future. Befusselbug is hard to catch and if you chase after her, she’ll lead you through a jungle of endless conjecture, causing sleepless nights and wrinkles, and ruining the present moment, which is the only time and place life actually does happen.

Concerns about the future serve a purpose when you consider actual problems you need to figure out how to address. When Beffusselbug is balanced she adds an intuitive sense to your thinking…you’re able to become aware when something needs attention. But when out of balance Befusselbug causes an invasive worry about future catastrophes that probably won’t happen. And when in the clutches of Befusselbug even if you don’t have anything troubling you, you might end up lying awake at night anxiously questioning what you might be forgetting to worry about or even worrying about what all of this worrying is doing to your health. Befusselbug tries to rob you of the joy and aliveness available to you right now by injecting fear of uncertainty about the future. But is it ever possible to be certain about everything in life? And what might you be missing out right now by worrying about the future?

There are many ways to master Befusselbug, but she’s so nefarious that it’s often good to use multiple tactics. First, fretting about all of the things that could go wrong is a misuse of imagination. So put your imagination to work for you and use your body to bring you back into the present moment. Begin by simply closing your eyes and asking yourself what does relaxation feel like in my body? Then notice your body’s response. What parts of your body are relaxed? What do those places feel like? What places aren’t relaxed? What do those feel like? What do those places need in order to be more relaxed? What is your breath doing? How can you deepen your breath? Just keep asking your body what it feels like. Let go of thoughts about the future as you use your imagination to move your awareness through your body.

Another way to work with the energy of worry is to write down any worries that come in to your mind, and designate a particular time of day - but not before bedtime - to sit down and reflect upon the worry. When the worry emerges at other times, remind yourself that you have a special time so you don’t need to think about it. When it’s that time of day, consider the following inquiries, and write down your answers so you don’t go on a Befusselbug-chase. First, what is your worry? What is the likelihood that this worry will come true? If it’s not likely, what are the more probable outcomes? Second, how is this worry helpful or not helpful? What is a perspective that is more helpful? Third, is what you’re worried about something you can do anything about? If yes, what is it that you need to do? What are the steps you need to take to make that happen? What part of yourself do you need to access in order to handle it? When will you take care of it? Make a timeline. Finally, if there’s nothing you can do about the worry, simply burn the piece of paper and flush the ashes down your toilet.

Befusselbug is of value to you by helping you channel your mental energy and anxiety into something creative by imagining all of the positive and negative possibilities. If your mind likes to invent catastrophic versions of your future, why not write a short story about it in order to allow yourself to fully explore your feelings about the worry? Authors are always battering their characters with all manner of fantastical disasters; otherwise it would be hard to come up with plots. If you’re visual, why not draw a picture of it? Affirmations to handle Befusselbug: I am at peace. I am safe. I choose to enjoy the process of my life.