Worrying about things I can't immediately control.

[WilderRose]

How do I stop! I am in my 50s and this is a life long issue. It is so very draining. I am doing it constantly. Work issue at the moment. Something that is going to happen that I can't control.
And yet...in moments of clarity I can check myself. I have a very close friend with a life limiting illness and know how ridiculous I am being and even selfish. I must stop it. It is time consuming and pointless. I don't seem to ever relax enough for mindfulness...I read inspiring quotes sometimes which can work for a short time.
Any suggestions to help me stop this relentless overthinking and need for control I do not have will be appreciated! Thanks.

Me too, it’s the things I have no control over them. I delay the thoughts, but to be honest it doesn’t really work too well.

I wake in the middle of the night and ruminate. The only thing I can do is distract myself with a podcast.

@SilverShadowNight DS was Y10 in March 2020 when Covid hit, and they closed the school for 6 months. He loved it. He found school boring, and was happy as a 15 yo waking up mid morning, playing on the XBox, scrolling through his phone and kicking a football around the garden occasionally. Bliss in his mind. I on the other hand, stressed about the fact that he was doing no school work at all. He claimed he 'couldn't understand it' or 'would do it later'. Went back to school in Sept - got Covid in October and was ill for about 3 weeks. 2 weeks back in school, Christmas holidays hit. Then they closed the school again Jan - March. By this time I was massively stressed at how little schooling he'd had all through Y10 and Y11.

I basically spent every night from March 2020 to August 2021 - 18 months - worrying myself stupid over the fact that he was going to fail all his GCSEs and not get into 6th form.

And then they just gave them GCSEs. They awarded them (pretty much) what their target grades had been/one grade lower and he got 12 half decent GCSE grades and got into 6th form.

And this really convinced me that I needed to stop worrying over things that a) I had no control over and b) never even happened in the end. It felt like such a bloody waste of 18 months of agonising and causing myself HUGE amounts of stress. It was so bloody pointless.

Just checking in. Been generally doing ok but wobble today. Work related. I am trying the refrain: not 'what if' but 'let's see'. Trying not to overplan and over think. (Will pan out next week). Others involved and can't micro manage them. When thinking worst scenarios trying to think 'even if'... it is perhaps a suck it and see situation bar some minimal planning...so..need to concentrate on now and go with flow more...ha!! Easier said than done!

CBT is good for this type of worry.

I have been googling a lot round CBT.
I am grateful for suggestions...
I am also suffering from brain fog and do wonder if have undiagnosed ADHD. I have always had issues but have been exacerbated by menopause. I am on hrt and am constantly trying to think of options to help...possibly rather than doing!
Bought lions mane gummies (help cognition?) and have been taking a few days...rather disgusting as blueberry flavour with mushroom undertones!

Can't think why my previous comment being checked by Mumsnet!!!

How strange...just wondering if did inappropriate typo or something!!

Ahh...comment back...phew...not good for an overthinker Mumsnet!