Is Worrying Worth It?
In all of the time that I have worried about anything (meaning every day of my life), I have yet to see any positive effect. Sure it makes me feel better dwelling on it thinking I am "doing something about it" when in actuality all I am doing is diving deeper into despair for no good reason. Most, if not all of the time the event I was worried about never came to pass anyway. So why do I continue to exercise this effort of futility? Is is nature (in born) or nurture (experience)?
As far as why I continue to worry is because sometimes when faced with a difficult situation or decision I want to think I am doing something about it. Worry is the grand daddy of all procastination devices. This isn't sitting around watching TV instead of dealing with a difficult task, or reading a book or even discussing it in a meaningful way with a friend. No, it is delving deeper and deeper into all the possible outcomes of the event.
Most of the time my worry centers around an uncomfortable confrontation that I am dreading. In the few times that the situation I was dreading actually came to pass, it was never as bad as I had imagined. In fact, most of the time it is quite the opposite. So if my experience tells me that I have yet to have my world come to an end why do I continue fretting about these things? Because sometimes the best thing to do when faced with a difficult situation is to wait. Wait until it becomes a reality and must be dealt with.
My experience has been marred by more than a few bad decisions. I dread certain events so much that it stops me cold in my tracks. My worrying is not sitting around overthinking it (which is a good definition for my flavor of worrying) but involves me walking and talking to help relieve the stress. Having identified the problem with assistance from my physician and a particular prescription I can now deal with these traumatic (or percieved traumatic) events in a more productive manner. Do I still walk and talk? Sure I do but I know that I always have something else I can do to occupy my mind instead of worrying.
We all have events that happen in our lives that cause us anguish. A relationship gone bad, an impending layoff at work (real or imagined), asking a relative for money, applying for a loan or trying to buy a large ticket item that requires financing like a car or God forbid, a house. It is enough to cause anyone to go weak in the knees and pass out (figuratively if not actually). It is how we deal with stress that defines us. We can let worry take over our lives or we can find ways to deal with it that allows us to direct our energies elsewhere. One of my favorite activities to indulge in when anxiety sets in is to write. Sometimes it is on one of my blogs, sometimes it is an article I am planning to try to have published but the sheer act of writing seems to help especially when the stressor is not an actual event I have to deal with right now. Another practise I use is to play music. I have some rather expensive electric guitars, amps and a keyboard for this activity. I don't know if it is the concentration required to play or just the sheer act of using my hands that helps me work off this nervous energy. All I know is that it works and works well. Now I am not a professional or even semi-pro musician. Just a guy who likes to play from time to time.
So, if you are dealing with stress, anxiety or any situation that is causing you to worry to the point that it prevents you from being productive in your work life or home life, find a way to redirect your energy. I would also recommend talking to your primary care physician because what you may be dealing with may be far more serious than just the odd anxiety attack. There are medications with few side effects that can be very helpful in this regard. I know because over the last few years I have been able to see a real difference in my life.
If you have problems with worrying I would like to hear from you about how you deal with it and what it has cost you in your life. My hope is that if this applies to you that you will seek help so you can take your life back because I can not tell you how many exciting events I have missed because of this senseless waste of time.
As far as why I continue to worry is because sometimes when faced with a difficult situation or decision I want to think I am doing something about it. Worry is the grand daddy of all procastination devices. This isn't sitting around watching TV instead of dealing with a difficult task, or reading a book or even discussing it in a meaningful way with a friend. No, it is delving deeper and deeper into all the possible outcomes of the event.
Most of the time my worry centers around an uncomfortable confrontation that I am dreading. In the few times that the situation I was dreading actually came to pass, it was never as bad as I had imagined. In fact, most of the time it is quite the opposite. So if my experience tells me that I have yet to have my world come to an end why do I continue fretting about these things? Because sometimes the best thing to do when faced with a difficult situation is to wait. Wait until it becomes a reality and must be dealt with.
My experience has been marred by more than a few bad decisions. I dread certain events so much that it stops me cold in my tracks. My worrying is not sitting around overthinking it (which is a good definition for my flavor of worrying) but involves me walking and talking to help relieve the stress. Having identified the problem with assistance from my physician and a particular prescription I can now deal with these traumatic (or percieved traumatic) events in a more productive manner. Do I still walk and talk? Sure I do but I know that I always have something else I can do to occupy my mind instead of worrying.
We all have events that happen in our lives that cause us anguish. A relationship gone bad, an impending layoff at work (real or imagined), asking a relative for money, applying for a loan or trying to buy a large ticket item that requires financing like a car or God forbid, a house. It is enough to cause anyone to go weak in the knees and pass out (figuratively if not actually). It is how we deal with stress that defines us. We can let worry take over our lives or we can find ways to deal with it that allows us to direct our energies elsewhere. One of my favorite activities to indulge in when anxiety sets in is to write. Sometimes it is on one of my blogs, sometimes it is an article I am planning to try to have published but the sheer act of writing seems to help especially when the stressor is not an actual event I have to deal with right now. Another practise I use is to play music. I have some rather expensive electric guitars, amps and a keyboard for this activity. I don't know if it is the concentration required to play or just the sheer act of using my hands that helps me work off this nervous energy. All I know is that it works and works well. Now I am not a professional or even semi-pro musician. Just a guy who likes to play from time to time.
So, if you are dealing with stress, anxiety or any situation that is causing you to worry to the point that it prevents you from being productive in your work life or home life, find a way to redirect your energy. I would also recommend talking to your primary care physician because what you may be dealing with may be far more serious than just the odd anxiety attack. There are medications with few side effects that can be very helpful in this regard. I know because over the last few years I have been able to see a real difference in my life.
If you have problems with worrying I would like to hear from you about how you deal with it and what it has cost you in your life. My hope is that if this applies to you that you will seek help so you can take your life back because I can not tell you how many exciting events I have missed because of this senseless waste of time.
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