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" Got worries? Whether they&amp;#039;re small (did I lock my keys in the car\u2014again?!) or big (what if this lump is\u2026cancer?), if left unchecked, worries have a way of growing out of control. And when they do, they can wreak havoc on our bodies\u2014even leading to physical symptoms ranging from dry mouth and rapid heartbeat to nausea and panic attacks. You may not be able to prevent daily worries from cropping up, but you can change the way you deal with them. Here are expert strategies for preventing, managing and stopping worries dead in their tracks.   1. Take your mind to the spa. Would a day at the spa take your mind off your worries? Of course it would. But here&amp;#039;s a more affordable option: a spa treatment for your mind. Pop on your headphones, sit back and listen to one of many stress- and worry-zapping CDs on the market, which aim to promote relaxation. Health.com&amp;#039;s herb and alternative medicine expert Sara Altshul recommends the stress-relief program from HealthJourneys.com. &amp;quot;It only took a few minutes of listening to [the narrator&amp;#039;s] soft, calming voice, which urged me to surround myself with an invisible, protective force, before I actually did feel calmer and less worried,&amp;quot; she writes.  2. Eat a mango. According to Japanese researchers, the simple act of peeling, slicing and eating a mango, which contains a compound called linalool, could help you chill out faster. In a study that appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, research found that simply inhaling the scent of linalool-rich foods (others include basil and lemons) may help the body deal with worry-related stress. Try our favorite mango smoothie: In a blender, mix together a ripe mango, 2 Tbsp honey, \u00BD cup orange juice and \u00BD cup plain yogurt with a few ice cubes\u2014voil\u00E0, your worry-less tonic.   3. Write a journal entry. When&amp;#039;s the last time you wrote in a journal? If you have worries, experts like Carol Kryder, PhD, a clinical psychologist and mental health expert for JustAnswer.com, say that it can be the key to moving beyond paralyzing negative emotions. She encourages worriers to write down not only their concerns, but also their &amp;quot;worst-case scenarios.&amp;quot; She says, &amp;quot;The idea behind journaling is to take control of the thoughts. If you are worrying about something that might happen, it helps to write down what is the worst that can happen. Then write down what you could do if this does happen and, finally, write down how you could move past the event and not let it stop you.&amp;quot;  4. Practice proactive worrying. It might sound strange, but giving yourself permission to fret may be the best thing for you, says Erin Munroe, a Massachusetts-based licensed mental health counselor. But here&amp;#039;s the key: Use a stopwatch. &amp;quot;Set aside time that is your &amp;#039;worry time,&amp;#039;&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;If you plan to worry from 4 to 4:30 every day, and you start to worry at 3, you can say to yourself, &amp;#039;Not yet! Worry time is at 4. I will worry then.&amp;#039; Or if it is past your worry time, remind yourself that you already worried about that issue\u2014time to think about happy things!&amp;quot;   5. Talk to your boss. In these troubling economic times, who hasn&amp;#039;t worried about his or her job? According to Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant, U.S. employees spend 19.2 hours a week (13 hours during the work week and 6.2 hours on the weekend) worrying about what their bosses say and do. That&amp;#039;s a lot of wasted time! End the worrying-about-work cycle by being in a proactive, rather than a reactive, mode at work. This means staying on top of your responsibilities and making sure you know what&amp;#039;s expected of you. It wouldn&amp;#039;t hurt to go the extra mile on a project, either, says Taylor. &amp;quot;There is no better recipe for confidence at work than doing a great job on a project and getting a &amp;#039;job well done&amp;#039; from your boss,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;In times like these, that&amp;#039;s career preservation, and it can go a long way in the worry-less department.&amp;quot; In addition, Taylor says that by taking it upon yourself to manage the relationship with your boss, such as using positive and negative reinforcement and role-modeling good behavior, you&amp;#039;ll create a healthier rapport. &amp;quot;That practice will help you thrive at work, and in turn boost your job security,&amp;quot; she adds.  6. Use a rubber band to retrain your brain. Chronic worriers often fall into patterns of worrying without knowing they&amp;#039;re doing it. Example: There&amp;#039;s a sale on bananas at the grocery store, which makes you remember that you forgot to make banana bread for your son&amp;#039;s playgroup, which reminds you that all the other mothers are going to think you&amp;#039;re a lousy person, which makes you think that you are a lousy person. Instead of going down that path, you can literally zap the worry process before it starts by trying this surprising yet effective tip: &amp;quot;Put a rubber band around your wrist and snap lightly every time you worry,&amp;quot; says Vandana Bhide, MD, an internist in private practice in Florida. This, she says, will &amp;quot;remind yourself to redirect your thoughts.&amp;quot;  7. Stay in the moment. Think about it: When you worry, it&amp;#039;s often about something that a) already happened (example: the embarrassing flub at work) or b) may happen at some point in the distant future (example: the possibility of getting laid off). Tell your brain &amp;quot;enough&amp;quot; with the worry cycle by using this smart trick from California-based psychotherapist Lisa Pedersen that helps you stay in the moment. Next time you&amp;#039;re reeling with worries, look around, she says, and focus on what you see. &amp;quot;Start naming objects and colors,&amp;quot; she says. For example, &amp;quot;I see the blue couch. I see the green rug. I see the lavender flower.&amp;quot; When you&amp;#039;re grounded in the moment, follow up with a repetitive statement that brings you comfort, such as a funny quote, something your mom used to say or a mantra that gives you strength.  8. Grab a square of chocolate. You love chocolate, but could it actually help you worry less? Possibly, according to a study published last year in the Journal of Proteome Research. Scientists found that subjects who ate an ounce of dark chocolate every day for two weeks experienced a reduction of stress hormones in the body. Keeping stress hormones at bay can make you better equipped to deal with worries and help you handle life&amp;#039;s ups and downs. But be choosy about chocolate: Antioxidant-rich dark chocolate is best.   9. Say hello to yoga. Many studies have linked fitness with stress and worry reduction, but Florida-based Equinox fitness trainer Sylvia Kalicinski says yoga may be the best exercise for worrywarts. &amp;quot;Yoga teaches you the tools to breathe through adversity, redirect your thoughts and energy while becoming more aware of your reactions,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;Yoga is a tool that helps reset your nervous system and one of the most powerful tools for releasing stress. Yoga also offers you the tools to move from a victim perspective to a victor projection.&amp;quot;  All photos by iStockphoto. Sarah Jio is the health and fitness blogger for Glamour.com. Visit her blog, Vitamin G. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/wellness/advice/a1504/smart-ways-to-stop-worrying-106351/>