We all worry some of the time. Everyone does. It’s a natural, human survival skill that keeps us on our toes and alerts us to threats and danger. But for some of us, worrying can become a habit which can have a negative impact on our lives, our careers, our relationships and our dreams.
At its worst, habitual worrying can lead to a full blown anxiety disorder.
For many of us, worry is such a long term habit that we don’t even notice that it has become ingrained and excessive. Sometimes it takes a loved one, friend or colleague to call us out and highlight that they think our worrying might be a problem for us.
Unfortunately we don’t all have people in our lives who will step in and tell us when they've noticed that we’re worrying excessively and many of us can be very ingenious in hiding our worries, so here are some signs that might alert you to the fact that your worrying could be having a negative impact on your life.
When your worry seems out of proportion to the event
Nerves and worry are a natural response to stress and so it’s completely normal to worry about stressful situations and events like exams, a presentation at work or your driving test. When that worry becomes out of proportion to the scale of the event then it can become a distraction and have a negative impact on your ability to prepare. A little nervousness will help you perform to the best of your ability, too much and you start to lose sleep and might not perform as well as you could.
When worrying is getting in the way of day to day life
Likewise, a little worry and anxiety can naturally help us step up and be at our best in life, but when we’re spending so much time worrying that there’s very little time left for anything else, then our worrying is leaning towards a disorder such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). You can find out more about the symptoms of GAD here.
When you’re rarely present with your family and friends
Do you sometimes find you’ve spent so much time in your head, overthinking everything that’s going on in your life, that you miss the tiny, day to day moments? If you feel like you’re often not in the present moment but instead you’re elsewhere, or if you find your loved ones often asking you where you are even though you’re in the room with them, then you might have a problem with worry and overthinking.
When you’re feeling persistently anxious
Persistent, low level anxiety can be easy to miss but it’s one of the main symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Persistent worry can lead to physical symptoms like stomach problems, headaches, restlessness, nausea, palpitations and shortness of breath. Symptoms like these are easily put down to ‘niggles’ and just ignored, but low level long term anxiety can lead to all sorts of other health conditions. Once you start to manage that anxiety, it is surprising how many of these physical symptoms can disappear.
When you’re experiencing catastrophic thoughts
Do you ever find your thoughts spiralling out of control to the worst possible scenario? You might find yourself catastrophising about being in a plane crash when you’re experiencing turbulence on an aeroplane, or worrying that a loved one has been in an accident if they’re a bit late home. These kinds of worried thoughts are completely out of proportion to the situation itself and usually have absolutely no evidence to back them up. They can also be frightening and make you feel as if you have no control over your thoughts.
When you’re using something to numb the worry
Numbing is when you reach for something external to help manage your worries and avoid anxious feelings but the thing you’re using isn’t going to help in the long run, in fact could well be making you feel worse. This can be reaching for alcohol or drugs to calm those worried thoughts, but you can also numb by doing anything that avoids the feelings of anxiety for a while, for example by binge watching television box sets or by avoiding situations that cause you to worry.
What to do if you think you’re worrying too much
If worrying has become so excessive for you that it’s getting in the way of living your life, then it’s time to take action and speak to someone about how you’re feeling. That could be your GP, a family member or trusted friend, or one of the many charities out there ready to help you.
The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to help yourself with excessive worry, as well as talking therapies and medications that can help. As more and more people step forward to talk about their worries, it’s becoming much easier to ask for help and there are some great organisations that you can get in touch with.
If you're worried about any aspect of your mental health, or someone else's, you should always approach a professional.
Samaritans - Call 116 123 (from the UK) for free
Anxiety UK - Call 03444 775 774
Crisis Line - United States Call 1-800-273-TALK