Why do I Worry Too Much
Why do I Worry Too Much? Worrying too much can make us stressed, unhappy and anxious.
Worrying is something we all do quite often.
How we deal with it is very different.
Are there things we can do to cut down the worry that worrying gives us?
There are things we can do.
Worrying affects our feelings and it can affect our physical health as well. It is a good idea to find ways to deal with it.
What is Worrying?
When we think about things, which will or may happen in the future, that make us uncomfortable or gives us other unpleasant feelings, especially if we feel frightened. We call this worrying.
Thinking about the future and imagining what will happen is good.
Constantly imagining that things will be unpleasant is worrying.
Is There Something Wrong With Me, I Worry a Lot?
Most types of worrying are not unhealthy. Some kinds can be a result of our experiences in the past.
There are quite a lot of “styles” of worrying.
What we worry about, and how often we worry, can be symptoms of “over worrying.”
There is often help for this, especially if the worrying is unrealistic or obsessive.
There is no reason for worry to limit our ability to function.
What Do We Worry about?
- Relationships
- Work or Study
- Money
- Health
- General Future
- Confidence
- Uncertainty
When Do We Worry?
Most People worry late in the evening or through the night.
There are other times, but this is generally the worst.
Why Do We Worry?
It is natural. It is a survival mechanism.
If we can anticipate a danger, we can avoid it or prepare for it.
The problems come when the worrying becomes obsessive or when we worry about things that are not critical, things we should not need to worry about.
What Can We Do about it?
See a doctor. Unfortunately, doctors often think in terms of short-term solutions and prescribe drugs. These can sometimes help although sometimes have unfortunate side effects.
If your worrying is making you ill, perhaps you should consult a Doctor.
It can be useful to get some emotional support or therapy. This would mean facing up to what is worrying you and looking for concrete solutions to avoiding the worry.
There are some tips and tricks later for you to try yourself.
Facing the Cause and Dealing With It
An example could be: worrying about always being late for work or college: get up earlier. Going to bed earlier may help you get up earlier.
These may seem simplistic; however, simple solutions can make a major difference.
Are you concerned about relationships? Perhaps you need to look at your friends and partners and see if they are good for you.
Distraction
Do you worry about worrying yourself at night so you cannot sleep?
Take a good book to bed, maybe a Kindle or an old-fashioned paperback. Read until your eyes feel sleepy. If you are thinking about something else, it reduces the time you have to worry about the future.
Therapy
Take some classes in Meditation or Mindfulness. These need not be anything to do with religion or faith if you do not want them to be.
Learning how to consciously focus your mind and direct it to think about what you want it to think about, can help a lot. If you can obsess about worrying, you will also be able to obsess about relaxing and thinking pleasant thoughts.
Consult a good therapist and ask about how to find out the roots of your worrying. Understanding what causes you to worry can help you to focus on other more useful things.
Remember that worrying is a survival mechanism, so maybe there are things you are frightened of. Sometimes this can just be a bad habit that has grown over the years. Facing your fears and rationalising them is more useful than saying “get a grip” or some such comment.
Action
Often the combination of fear, and a feeling of inability to do anything about it, is the most anxiety generating things we can experience.
Write down what you think you worry about. Are these things fears you have? If they are, look at what actions you may be able to take to resolve the fears.
Some of those actions may be realistic, some may not. Discuss them with partners or friends and see if other people have some ideas to help you. “A problem shared is a problem halved.” That’s what my Gran used to say.
For example: If your fear is about money: write a list of things you might be able to do about it.
Then ask friends and family if they have any ideas, then hit the search engines and list all the ideas you get.
Somewhere in there could be the beginning of some action you could take. The action and the expression of solutions to the problems will help to relieve the anxiety.
You may well find that there is no real substance in your worry. Don’t worry. That is normal. You will need to look at where that worry came from.
Do a similar exercise as before. Treat the irrational worry as a real one and write down solutions, even if they seem crazy. Talk it over with others and see if you can come up with imaginative solutions that only exist in your imagination.
Some Tips For Relief of Anxiety
One technique that is used with children who cannot always express what is worrying them is the “Worry Box.”
Write down or draw your worry on a piece of paper. Fold it up and put it in a “Worry Box.” Either put the box away in a quiet secret place or give it to someone you trust, just to keep.
This is like giving your worries to someone else. You can always go and get them back.
Most people find that after a while they can go through the contents of the box and throw away some of the worries. It is yours to decide. You may want to discuss the worry with someone else.
Remember, worrying is normal, we all worry. It is for our survival.
Excessive worrying can damage our health, both mental and physical.
Perspective
Everyone worries to some degree.
Some worrying is a deep rooted normal survival mechanism and only becomes a problem when we worry about things we do not need to.
We can deal with these things by:
- Facing up to them.
- Distracting ourselves.
- Seeking professional help
- Learn Mindfulness and practice
- Taking some action which alleviates the fear.
- Have a worry box.
From self-help to professional help, there are a range of ways to alleviate the worry of worrying. You are not born a worrier, although, your earlier life can have an influence on what you are anxious about and what you fear.
You have the ability to take control of your mind and tell it what to think about and this can help you.
Do not expect an instant result because old habits die hard. At least you no longer have to worry that you are the only worrier in the world. We are all at it.
If you take some action your thinking will slowly change for the better. How wonderful would that be?
Read More: Earning Money Teaching English as a Foreign Language