Are you a worry wart?

Are you a Worry Wart?

Worry is something that we are all familiar with, there will most likely have been a time in your life that you have worried about one thing or another. There is much research to prove that negative thoughts are most accessible to our consciousness, therefore worry may come easily to many people. When worry begins to affect your life it may be important to take a look at your worrying.

Do you find yourself thinking about the worst case scenario and “what ifs” consistently. Do you ever find yourself thinking something and all of a sudden you have begun a spiral of thinking and you are wondering how you even got here.

“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” Winston Churchill

Signs you may be a worry wart?

• Catastrophising- doomsday like scenarios play in your mind.
• Spend much of your time making decisions about things that are not life changing.
• You can’t sleep.
• You continuously think about the one thing you done wrong today.
• When your not worried you worry about the fact that you are not worried.

Worry can hold a lot of power within your life if you are a chronic worrier. People may often believe that their worrying helps them problem solve and others may feel they are going crazy with worry. People who worry often worry about the unpredictable and things that are out of their control. Where will I be in a few years’ time? What if I don’t take this job? etc. Our worry is almost always about the future, and this is something we have no control over and the reality is that we have no idea what tomorrow will bring. Our minds like to work in a place where we know what is happening and can predict our lives, when we step out of this place anxiety often presents.

I have often met clients that worry about their worrying. When a person worry’s about worrying this continues the cycle of worry and your level of anxiety heightens. For worry to lose its power it may be important to recognise that worry is the problem not the solution.

Why do we worry?

As I stated about we are more susceptible to worry and to deal with what is called the ‘negativity bias’. We have evolved from a place in which we needed to use our minds and memories to protect ourselves from potential danger ie animals that can attack and kill us. We are still on the lookout for danger and are attuned to any possible threats.

Worry is our way of attempting to anticipate any danger and uncertainty. Worry is something that we do need in our lives. Uncertainty is the crux of most of our worries and anxieties. In life there are many uncertainties and things that are out of our control and we worry excessively in an attempt to gain some control over our circumstances. Anxiety

In my experience worry is due to the threat of loss of something in our lives;  joy, relationships, money, wisdom, independence, support, power, position and ultimately life. This is why we worry so much about making decisions. We want to make the right decision, we are fearful of making a mistake.

I understand that giving up worry can be difficult this is something that you have done your whole life. People find it difficult to give up their worries for many reasons. They feel that they could miss something if they did not think about it, they want to be responsible, the hope for a solution in worrying can often feel close however this may not be the case.  If you worry or are anxious then you will have tried many things to attempt to stop this thought process. These may have worked for a short term however you may need a counsellor for anxiety to help you work through your particular worries and anxieties.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Generalised Anxiety Disorder is a condition in which a person excessively worries about everyday situations. It feels uncontrollable and worry is usually connected to the future. GAD is one of the most common anxiety disorders, affecting 2-8% of the population.

Symptoms include;

• Distress
• Sleep Disturbance
• Difficulty concentrating
• Exhaustion

If you feel any of these symptoms make contact with a Counsellor or Psychotherapist in Galway. I can help you lead a more balance life.