With all the advancements in our world today, life should be a breeze, right? After all, we can have dinner delivered to our door, order anything with a click of a button, and even bring up movies and television shows whenever we’d like. We seem to have so much these days, both in terms of material possessions and conveniences. Then, why are we more worried and stressed than ever? And what are some signs that we’re headed down the path of too much worry in our life?
According to the 2016 “Worry Less Report” conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance, 38% of people worry every day, mainly in the early morning or late evening. For some, worry can help inspire problem solving. But for many others, it can be paralyzing, hinder productivity, and produce feelings of helplessness. Chronic worrying can erode our ability to function well at home and at work. Here are a few signs that worrying is becoming a problem and steps you can take to help:
- You’re always thinking about future “threats”: When you start to interpret everything as a potential problem and constantly look for potential threats, worrying becomes a default pattern in life.
The Remedy: Try to separate emotion from what’s actually happening and don’t confuse feeling anxious with actual worry. Ask yourself: is this a worst-case scenario or am I catastrophizing? - You can’t sleep: Poor sleep creates a vicious cycle of poor emotional functioning – which ultimately leads to more stress and worry.
The Remedy: Remember that sleep in not expendable. Turn your room into a restful haven away from the stressors or life, including technology! You might even want to try moving your bedtime up 60 minutes. - You can’t seem to “shake it off”: No one enjoys confrontation or an unpleasant encounter. But worry starts when you continue to relive it in your mind, wondering what you could’ve done differently, and second-guessing your response.
The Remedy: If you’re trapped in replay mode, get up and move. A change of scenery can help you return to your desk refreshed and able to make better decisions. Once you’ve hit your reset button, ask yourself: Was the situation as bad as I thought and is it worth getting this upset about? Often the answer is “no”.
Sometimes it can feel like it’s impossible to break the worrying cycle and find your way back to what’s really important in life. For more help, read our article on Tips For Dealing With Worry – How to Stay Focused and On Task. If you’re interested in engaging your organization in Professional and/or Personal Development to discuss how to decrease worry and increase productivity in the workplace, call Leah M. Joppy & Associates at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com. We’re ready to help!