Every day, thousands of thoughts pass through our minds. Many of them could be classified as concerns. Some of these concerns emanate from a real problem, but the vast majority start from quite improbable hypothetical scenarios and lead us to even more improbable scenarios, so they only serve to keep us awake at night and plunge us into a state of permanent anguish.
What is worry?
We all have problems, it is an inevitable part of life. But sometimes, when we focus too much on them under the guise of solving them, we could be doing something much less productive: worrying.
Worries are a pattern of negative thinking about latent issues that we find stressful or threatening. It’s not just a matter of remembering that we forgot to include something in the report we have to submit on Monday or making a note that we feel bad and need to go to the doctor.
Worry is a sustained period over time of catastrophic thinking about an issue, often creating a storm in a teacup by focusing exclusively on possible negative outcomes and drawing out worst-case scenarios.
The main problem with worries is that they have the tendency of multiplying. You start by remembering that you forgot to include something in the report and you end up concluding that you will be fired or that slight annoyance turns into a terminal-stage cancer in your head.
And worst of all, we often confuse this worry loop with problem solving. We think that worrying will help us solve the problem, but often it only sends us into a loop of anxiety that makes us completely lose perspective and, of course, distances us from the solution.
The difference between worrying and getting busy is not always clear
Turning things around over and over, imagining the worst outcomes has nothing to do with problem solving – although we often forget or have a hard time telling the difference. In fact, a study conducted at Concordia University found that when people are asked why they worry, they often say it’s because they are trying to solve a problem.
Another research carried out at the University of Tokyo also revealed that people who believe that it is necessary to think a lot to find the best solution are more likely to develop a pattern of chronic worry. They also found that people who are more scrupulous, responsible and obsessive for the order tend to worry more often.
Being able to distinguish worry from the resolution process is essential, not only to prevent problems from getting worse, but to protect our mental health.
When you try to solve something, you generally follow a logical process in which you identify the problem and look at options, weighing their pros and cons until you find an acceptable solution. Then you make a plan to put it into practice.
Worry, on the other hand, focuses more on all the things that can go wrong. It is true that we identify the threat or problem, but then we get trapped in a sea of negative thoughts, falling into a state similar to analysis paralysis.
Do you know why we tend to confuse both processes?
Because problems generate fear, anguish and anxiety, which triggers an emotional reaction that prevents us from thinking clearly and keeps us trapped in a loop of escalating catastrophes that only serve to make us feel bad.
This vicious circle of worries will feed pessimism and require enormous mental effort that will leave us exhausted and without the strength to look for solutions.
If you want to solve a problem, don’t worry, get busy
“Worry is like a rocking chair: it keeps you busy, but it doesn’t get you anywhere,” said Erma Bombeck. An experiment carried out at the universities of Pennsylvania and Towson verified this.
These psychologists asked some people to worry about a current problem and others to consider their problem without worry, concentrating, for example, on breaking it down into smaller parts and setting goals, letting go of negative thoughts.
They then asked everyone to come up with solutions. Unsurprisingly, worry took its toll: Worried people not only generated less effective solutions, but they were less likely to implement them and felt less confident in their abilities to carry them out successfully.
Therefore, if you tend to spend a lot of time worrying and that causes you tension or anxiety, keeping you trapped in a loop of negative thoughts, it is time to take action. Chronic worry reduces your quality of life, so you must put a stop to it.
So the next time those worries creep up on you and threaten to become a black cloud over your head, simply eliminate them with a single question: What do I need to do to fix what’s worrying me? And get busy, don’t give it any more thought.
References:
Llera, SJ & Newman, MG (2020) Worry impairs the problem-solving process: Results from an experimental study. Behavior Research and Therapy; 135:103759.
Hebert, EA et. Al. (2014) Positive beliefs about worry: A psychometric evaluation of the Why Worry-II. Personality and Individual Differences; 56:3-8.
Sugiura, Y. (2007) Responsibility to continue thinking and worrying: Evidence of incremental validity. Behavior Research and Therapy; 45(7): 1619-1628.
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