Dealing with Worry, Part 1

Quick answer: Worry is the mental component of anxiety—a preoccupation with potential problems, often featuring an overestimate of negative outcomes. The first and most crucial step in dealing with worry is learning to catch yourself doing it, using clues like mental absence from the present moment and physical symptoms such as chest tightness.

So often nowadays I find myself needing to step back and take a deep breath. Between three young children, a career, and finding a bit of time for self-care, my mind wakes up already running a to-do list wrapped in worried thoughts. Then I catch my mind tangled in the worry—and remember to breathe. If something like this happens for you, understanding how worry works is the first step toward loosening its grip.

Why do our minds worry so much?

Because human brains were made to solve problems—it's what allowed us to survive without fangs, claws, or speed—but the mind doesn't stop thinking about problems even when they're solved or unsolvable.

Solving problems is usually a good thing. The catch is that the problem-solving machinery keeps churning past the point of usefulness. The result is worry: a preoccupation with potential problems lurking around the corner, and with problems we have no control over. For people who struggle with anxiety, worry can be a constant companion.

What does worry typically look like?

Worry often features an overestimate of potential negative outcomes—a headache becomes something serious, the wrong outfit becomes social rejection.

Worries tend to center around topics like health concerns and social status. Social status in particular can underlie other worries: if you worry a lot about money, the true fear is often that you'll be judged or not accepted if you don't meet a certain standard of wealth or style.

Why is it important to get better at dealing with worry?

Because worry is a central feature of most anxiety disorders, it keeps the body in a heightened state of arousal, and it steals your ability to enjoy the present.

Worry is prominent in Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and persistent worry is one of the most common reasons clients seek help. Physically, worry signals the body to prepare for threats that exist mostly in our minds; over time that chronic arousal can contribute to stress-related problems like chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, headaches, TMJ disorders, and muscle tension. And on a more universal level, if we're tangled up in worries, we're not really present—like getting so worked up over a child's birthday party that you barely enjoy it at all.

How do I catch myself worrying?

Watch for two key signals: your attention has left the present moment, and physical symptoms of anxiety are showing up in your body.

There's not much chance of changing something you don't notice, and mental habits become so automatic that we usually don't. One clue is realizing you're not paying attention to what's happening around you—you're at the ball game, but really a million miles away. Another is physical: tightness in your chest, an unsettled stomach. Use those signals to ask what your mind is up to. It also helps to distinguish constructive problem solving, which helps you navigate stress and reach goals, from worry, which just leaves you feeling bad without getting you anywhere.

Does tracking worry actually help?

Yes—keeping a simple journal or log of your worry habits builds the noticing skill that everything else depends on.

It doesn't have to be fancy: record when you worried and what you worried about. Over time you'll learn your patterns—maybe finances, maybe health. Learning to notice your thought patterns is a critical skill for mental health as well as productivity. This kind of skill-building is central to anxiety counseling and mindfulness-based therapy.

Understanding worry is the place to start

Worry is a natural byproduct of a problem-solving brain, but left unchecked it feeds anxiety, stresses the body, and pulls you out of your own life. Start by catching yourself in the act—what to do once you've caught it is the subject of Part 2 of this series.

Getting started. If worry has become a constant companion, you don't have to untangle it alone. Our anxiety counseling team can help.

Frequently asked questions

Is worrying the same as having an anxiety disorder?

Not necessarily. Everyone worries, but worry is a central feature of anxiety disorders like Generalized Anxiety Disorder and OCD. When worry is persistent and hard to shake, it's worth talking with a professional.

Can worry cause physical symptoms?

Yes. Persistent worry keeps the body in a heightened state of arousal, which is linked to problems like muscle tension, headaches, TMJ disorders, gastrointestinal issues, and chronic pain.

How is worry different from useful planning?

Constructive problem solving helps you navigate stress and achieve goals. Worry churns over trivial details and imagined negative outcomes, using energy without any gain.

Get started with a therapist at Austin Mindfulness Center—in person in Austin or online across Texas.