What are you afraid of?

The roller coaster stock market scares many an investor. Talk of a recession makes employees fear layoffs and financial instability, and retailers fear a dismal holiday shopping season. Throw in any ongoing worries, such as health issues (yes, my foot still hurts!) and dealing with old age (yours or your relatives'), whether or not your relationship will last or if you'll ever be in one, and how your kids are doing in school/activities...you could spend your entire day mired in anxiety and lose sleep at night.

One of my favorite quotes is: "Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of strength." Easy to say, but many of us cannot just let our worries go. We'll need to do something to quash or cope with our fears.

Some, of course, may choose therapy and/or medication. I'm not a therapist, nor have I played one on TV, so I did a bit of research and found recommendations to:

--Focus on the present and live in the moment...because you can't change the past or predict the future.
--Catch your negative thoughts, particularly about things you can't control, and replace them with positive thoughts and/or action steps you can take in areas you can control.
--Try simple exercises to release tension...such as deep breathing from your diaphragm, not your chest.

A couple of sites that might be of use:

Molly Gordon's guide to Dealing with Fear and Anxiety

About.com: Stress and Anxiety

What are your favorite ways to reduce stress?