How to stop cascade of worry

After Barbara Streisand froze midsong in front of 135,000 people in New York’s Central Park, well, you can see how she might get anxious about getting that anxious again. It took her 27 years and 2,700 hours of psychotherapy to be able walk back onto the stage!

Now, not everyone has such an anxious reaction to being anxious, but almost everyone has worried about becoming worried. Folks who are nervous fliers may fret about what they will feel like when they get on a plane. Heck, you can get a tension headache just thinking about going into a situation that might give you a tension headache!

How can you stop that cascade? Psychologists suggest that we often mistakenly glom onto distractions, such as TV or digital devices for example, to block out anxiety. But, they say, shutting the door on self-reflection will ultimately backfire and end up making you more anxious. The National Institute of Mental Health says that these days nearly one in three adults is more anxious this year than last year.

So if you’re worrying about worrying, look up, breathe deeply and consider these techniques to help you de-stress:

— Join an online or in-person self-help group, like the fear-off-lying support group at www. anxietyandstress.com. Or check in with the Anxiety and Depression Association of America at www.adaa.org.

— Take the anxiety test at DoctorOz.com and explore experts’ advice on solutions such as mindful meditation.

— Get 150-plus minutes of aerobic activity weekly and 10,000 steps daily.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.