Obsessive worry is a vicious cycle. The longer you worry, the worse your worry gets. No matter how much you tell yourself to stop worrying, you find that you can’t. That’s because it takes a deliberate effort to stop the worrying pattern. You need to stop thinking and do something to shift gears.

The best thing you can do is to exercise. Don’t worry about having an elaborate exercise routine, physical activity right now can help you break the worry cycle. If possible, do your favorite physical activity, such as taking a walk or riding a bike. If you’re not sure what to do, jog in place for a few minutes to warm up, then do some jumping jacks or push ups. Do some light stretching afterwards. In as little as eight minutes from now, you can stop obsessive worrying with physical exercise.

Exercise not your thing? Well, then try some relaxation. Try progressive muscle relaxation. For progressive muscle relaxation, find a quiet setting. Tense one muscle group, such as your fists, at a time. Keep our muscles tenses for about ten seconds. Then relax your muscles for twenty seconds. Go through your body tensing and relaxing each muscle group.

Correct your breathing. If you find yourself taking shallow breaths, take a few minutes to concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply from the abdomen.

Repressed feelings such as sadness and anger might be the cause of your obsessive worry. One simple way to help get them out is to play your favorite songs. Don’t be afraid to turn up the volume and sing along.

Use your hands to distract yourself. Find a hobby that requires you to do something with your hands. Find solace in gardening, repairing cars, sculpting, or painting. Focusing on creation will often stop the obsessive worrying cycle.

Find someone to talk to. You do not need to talk about the worry that is bothering you. Instead converse about other topics.

Finally, try to change your setting. Going somewhere new and different will help you reset your thought patterns. Drive to a new town, visit a new store, or even getting a new haircut can help.

If you do not take action to stop the cycle, your worrying will get worse and become harder to break out of. So pick one or two of these suggestions and try them today.