4-9-15 Post: Worrying

Question/Comment: Is there value in worrying? Is it different from stress? If I don’t worry, how will I be motivated to get thing done? After all, I don’t clean house, pay bills or run errands because it’s fun. So, if I don’t worry, I won’t do anything.

Response: There can be value in worrying, if it is used as motivation and if it leads to positive action. Constant worry without relief and without action is not generally valuable. I suppose if a person wanted to torture or punish themselves then constant worry could be used for those purposes. If a worry comes to mind and the person takes action to alleviate the problem, or sets on a course of thought, research or exploration of how to make the worrisome situation better then the worry served a useful purpose.

Sometimes all it takes is writing a note to self or others about what action needs to be taken at what time. Then the worrying can be stopped. Of course, the note needs to be followed and the action it suggests needs to be taken so the next time a worry arises, the action of writing a note can alleviate the worry.

An example, of how a note can help a person stop worrying is: if someone awakens in the night and remembers an important action that must be taken before an important meeting the next day, writing a simple reminder note and placing it in a shoe that will be worn the next day can lift the worry and the person can go back to sleep. 

An example of taking action to alleviate worry can be as follows: if a person is worried about having enough money in life, then the person might begin thinking about what job or career can provide the necessary money. Once a career has been targeted, the person can research how to become qualified for that career and set on the course of obtaining those qualifications. The goal is reached one step at a time and each obstacle or hurdle is handled as it arises or can be projected to arise.

Practical action with follow through is always how to address worry. Using worry to spur a person on to appropriate action is a good way to make use of it.