I've been brooding ever since I read an article on Lime [0] earlier this week about the dangers of brooding.

And frankly, it's all a bit worrisome.

Apparently, brooding does lasting damage to our mind, bodies, and spirits. An article USA Today [1] claims that new studies show that worriers may suffer from higher blood pressure and heart rates, less effective immune systems, depression, an imbalance of stress hormones, and perhaps shorter life spans.

The root of the problem, it seems, is over-thinking. I had to think about "over-thinking" for a while. I mulled it over. I ruminated. And, the truth is, I probably think about as much as the next person (the next person who could stand to watch less TV, that is).

While I may not be a great thinker, I am definitely a great over-thinker. I tend to dwell on totally, utterly insignificant things. I am reminded of this whenever I re-read my journals -- which are typically crammed with all the tedious and boring details of whatever issue du jour is bugging me.

Of course, worrying too much causes us to fall further into something the experts call a "mental pothole." Most of us have been in one of these before. It's where we stew over problems, rehash information, stress about the outcome, dissect the fine points, think of all the witty things we should have said, and replay the situation over and over again.

Unfortunately, there are all sorts of legitamite health concerns [1] when it comes to spending too much time in these mental potholes. As we all know, there are a slew of physical problems associated stress. The USA Today story [2] links worrying to everything from heart disease to anorexia.

So, what's a chronic worrier to do? Exercise. A lot. Anything that gets us moving -- long walks [2], bike rides, yoga [2], and trips to the gym -- helps ease the mind. Or at the very least, they physically wear us out to the point where we we're too tired to obsess over small stuff anymore.

Meditation [2] -- perhaps with a chant that goes something like "let it go, just let it go" -- probably works wonders. A good laugh or a positive attitude [2] might shake you out of that mental pothole, as would dinner or a good conversation with friends or loved ones.

And if none of these options do the trick, I can vouch for a fruity cocktail [2]. Especially since a new study has found that it's healthy to indulge in one every now and again.