Worrying

Most of us wish we worried less, but worrying isn’t necessarily bad according to Dr. Edward Hallowell of Harvard Medical School. Worry is natures way of helping us anticipate and avoid danger.

Successful people are constantly taking steps to avoid potential problems. Dr. Hallowell identifies that as "good worry" which leads to constructive action.

Toxic worry does just the opposite. The cascade of negative feelings can immobilize us so that we can’t do anything to improve our situation. Toxic worry is ruminative worry - going over and over the same ground without making any progress in solving the problem. This kind of worry is self perpetuating and creates a spiral in which stress chemicals feed back to the brain.

The quickest way to change your mental state is to do something physical. Merely doing some activity will - at least temporarily push the problem out of your mind.

Source: Hallowell, E. (1998, Februrary 15). Simple system for much more effective worrying, yes, worrying. Bottom Line Personal, 9.