Stop Worrying and Start Thriving
How often do you see your worries coming true? Research suggests it is minuscule. Studies also show that chronic worrying severely affects our physical health, mental state, and productivity. Let us go on a journey into why we worry and how we can control this using the mind-n toolkit.
Chronic Worrying: A Worrisome Phenomenon
- You have a deadline; unfortunately, you are only halfway through the project.
- You have a performance evaluation coming up in two days.
- You had a serious argument with a colleague and have a meeting with him tomorrow.
- There is an economic recession, and 200 employees were laid off in your friend’s company.
- You get to know from a colleague that your other colleague might have been chosen for the upcoming promotion that you were aiming for.
- To alert you to potential danger: Humans are designed to sense a threat (real or perceived), and worry is often seen as a false alarm triggered by our mind’s attempt to protect us from real threats.
- Protection from fear of the unknown: Many people worry when faced with unfamiliar or ambiguous circumstances. The worry here is often about the potential risks or dangers associated with the unknown.
- Magical thinking: For many, worrying is a way to prepare themselves to handle negative emotions that they might encounter.
Source: Stacy Nenaroya, Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
A study conducted by researchers at Penn State University (2019) showed that 91% of worries experienced by people in their study were false alarms. For the remaining 9% of worries that came true, the outcome was better than they expected about a third of the time.(1) This clearly shows that while worrying (in moderation and at certain times) may be helpful, it is often a false alarm, which can significantly impact our well-being.
Impacts of Chronic Worrying
Excessive worrying:
- Increases anxiety: Repeated worrisome thoughts trigger the body’s stress response, leading to symptoms of anxiety such as restlessness, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
- Induces negative thinking: While worrying, our mind tends to focus on the worst-case scenarios, amplifying our fears and creating a cycle of negative thinking.
- Impairs decision-making: When we are consumed by worry, our negative thoughts become dominated by potential negative consequences, making it challenging to evaluate a situation and make a rational judgement objectively.
- Impacts physical health: Chronic worrying takes a toll on our physical health. Chronic stress and anxiety triggered by worry often lead to physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, digestive issues, and a weakened immune system.
So how can we worry less, or, at the very least, worry less catastrophically?
The mind-n Toolkit for Chronic Worrying:
- Identify the source of your worries: Ask yourself what triggers the worry. Worrying thoughts can come from uncertainty, ambiguity, and catastrophising. Look for what is troubling you.
- Challenge your negative thoughts: While deep in negative thinking mode, we also underestimate our ability to cope with situations – commonly known as distortions in thinking. This negative thought process can be changed: look for evidence if the worry will come true, consciously change your inner thoughts, and try imagining the best-case scenario instead.
mind-n Pro-Tip:
Engage in any physical activity for at least 30 minutes, five days a week?
- Practising gratitude helps you worry less: Think of five things you are grateful for every night before bed and every morning upon waking up. Practice this mindfully, irrespective of how you feel.
When you express gratitude, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two neurochemicals called the ‘happy hormones’ responsible for our positive emotions. Everyday gratitude practice helps strengthen neural pathways to create a sustained grateful state.
- Take a deep breath when you are spiralling into worries: Deep breathing helps activate the body’s relaxation response and helps calm your mind. Focussing on breathing helps you to bring your focus back to the present and feel grounded.
- Schedule your worries: Allocate a specific time each day (15-20 minutes) to let yourself worry. This is a great way to feel in control of your negative emotions. When you catch yourself worrying outside this designated time, remind yourself that you have a scheduled time to address those concerns later. You can also keep a worry journal to help track your worries. But, use it only when it is your ‘worry time.’
- Seek social support: Reach out to trusted family and friends with whom you can share your worries. Talking about your concerns can sometimes provide a perspective you may have missed when worrying.
- Reach out for professional support: If your worry becomes excessive and starts interfering with your daily life, do not hesitate to seek help from a mental health professional.
In Conclusion
Remember that it is normal to worry occasionally, but managing worries healthily and constructively is essential. By practising some of the strategies discussed above, you can gain greater control over your worries. Pick the techniques that suit you best and practice them daily until they become familiar, like muscle memory. With time, you will find that you can track and manage your worries even in the most challenging times.
