What Causes Worry?

Worry is something that tends to plague us all at some point or another. The good thing is, worrying isn't going anywhere anytime soon. It's normal to get stressed out from time to time. But when worry becomes excessive, it can be bad for your health.

People who suffer from anxiety often report feeling anxious, irritable, tired or restless and even having trouble sleeping. In extreme forms, these feelings can turn into full-blown depression.Worrying about things that aren’t important may seem like a great way to prevent stress, but it actually creates anxiety and depression. In reality, the opposite is true. Studies show that worrying causes the brain to release chemicals called neurotransmitters that trigger negative emotions such as anxiety.

When you worry, you activate certain areas of the brain associated with emotion. This constant state of heightened emotion makes it harder to focus on other tasks. Instead of thinking about what's bothering you, you're more likely to ruminate about it.

If we are to think about the things that cause us to worry, we can break them down into two categories; tangible/materialistic and intangible/emotional. This video goes over both kinds, but more so focuses on the intangible side due to its psychological nature.

Materialistic Worry

This type of worry arises from material objects. When we worry over something intangible, we have an emotional attachment to it. So if we're afraid of losing our job then this would fall under the category of materialistic worries. We are attached to our possessions-whether they be people, places, jobs, etc. Then when those materials start failing us or disappearing, we become fearful of what's going to happen to us.

And here are the tips to overcome this:

1. Stop worrying about money!

It's ok to want things. People who don't have anything are always worried about losing their house or having no food - but they should stop thinking about those things. Don't be afraid that if you lose your wallet, or if you're not able to pay your bills, you're going to die. You'll survive, and even though you won't be happy right now, you will be happier in the future. If you focus on what you do have instead of the things you don't have, you will feel much better.

2. Focus on what you can control.

Don't let other people tell you what you can or cannot do. Your life is yours to live, so make sure you take charge of everything in your life. Do the best that you can, and don't let people around you influence how you think.

3. Avoid comparing yourself with others.

This is the worst thing anyone could ever do. When you compare yourself to someone else, you never seem to get anywhere. You only become angry at yourself when you're down. Don't compare yourself to others; just go out there and try to improve yourself. Be happy with what you've done, and don't worry about what you haven't yet accomplished.

2. Emotional Worry

We live in a society that values money and things. If we make less than $50,000 a year, chances are we think about how much money we don't have, and how little we own. If we earn between $50,000 - 100,000 a year, we might think about whether we'll be able to pay off our student loans. If we make more than $100,000 a year, I'm sure we think about stuff like this all day long, where do we want to go on vacation? What kind of car do we want to drive? These thoughts consume our minds and fill us with anxiety.

And here are the tips to overcome this:

1. Learn how to let go of negative thoughts / emotions that keep you stuck in fear

Worrying about something does not help. In fact, it can actually make things worse. And I'm not just saying this out of some self-help motivation. This has been proven by scientists. So if you're feeling worried, try letting go of those thoughts and feelings. If you do this, you'll find that your worries are much easier to deal with than they were before.

2. Understand what's causing your worry and take action to change it

The root cause of our worries isn't always clear; sometimes we worry about things that aren't even real threats at all. But if you feel like you're worrying over nothing, then you need to dig deeper into what's really going on. Once you understand why you're worried, you can use that information to come up with solutions to fix whatever is causing your stress.

3. Get your mind off of it

If you've tried the first two tips and still haven't gotten rid of your anxiety, then maybe distraction is what you need. Distract yourself from the problem by doing something else. You could read a book, watch TV, or play a game. Whatever gets your attention away from your worries.