Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Worry

March 7, 2014

I was thinking yesterday (probably after reading something about it) how I worry way, way too much. And my next thought was that all this worrying is not productive at all. So I decided to look it up, worry that is, and here’s what I found on Wikipedia:

Worry refers to the thoughts, images, and emotions of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential threats.

Whew – let’s look at two of those words – anticipated and potential. These words mean I am worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. They may or may not happen, but I am worrying about them nonetheless. That seems…a waste of time and mental energy.

What else, oh here:

As an emotion it is experienced as anxiety or concern about a real or imagined issues, often personal issues such as health or finances or broader issues such as environmental pollution and social or technological change.

Mostly I worry about the small stuff – sometimes really small stuff.

And this is the thing – worry does nothing to help anyone – unless we turn it around into something productive. For me, the bigger stuff can be prayed about, but I also can do something like giving money to causes I believe in to help other people with basics like food and water, and kids who are suffering from cancer. Of course some stuff is completely out of my control and I have to know what those things really are.

Most experience short-lived periods of worry in their lives without incident; indeed moderate worrying may even have positive effects, if it prompts people to take precautions or avoid risky behaviors.

So if I am worrying about those potential threats without doing anything about them, well, as I said, it is a waste of mental time and energy. Time and energy I can use somewhere else in my life.

Excessive worry is the main component of generalized anxiety disorder.

Is that what it’s called? Actually, my doctor and I did talk about it and I realized that he was right. I have to say since being on my meds I have a lot less anxiety, but I still worry too much and that causes stress and long term stress isn’t healthy so it’s time to nip it in the bud. Hmm, how to do that. Oh yeah, here:

“Toxic worry is when the worry paralyzes you; good worry leads to constructive action.”

The above quote is from a book by Edward M. Hallowell called, “Worry”. There are things you can do to help reduce worry, he says, like: never worrying alone, getting the facts, make a plan, taking care of yourself (physically), and letting it go. That last one is the hardest for most of us I’d say.

So, you can read the rest of the article here, hah, don’t worry it’s a very small article. :-) I just wanted to hit the highlights. And I was right – worry is not productive at all. Unless you do something about what you are worrying about or let it go. So I’m going to read the book but I’m also going to start taking the five steps Dr. Hallowell suggests to keep worry from getting out of hand. Little by little, step by step I’m getting to a better life.

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» Worry » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Worry

March 7, 2014

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