The habit of worrying

Worrying might help, if it causes us to think of some action, even a small one, that we could possibly do to address any part of the concern;
and, then, if we actually do it.

Or, sometimes I find it helpful to identify the worry, write it down, and decide that the present action is actually the decision not to do anything about it. Then it is sometimes more easily possible to set the paper, and the worry aside.
 
In my youth I knew of a friend's grandpa who was a most amiable nice man. He seemed very old to me and unusually calm. His family said the old boy was not senile, just seemed so. He never read the papers or watched the news, he didn't drink or smoke, leading what seemed a very boring life. In youth his wife said he had little ambition except to earn enough. He read only pleasant books, watched very little TV and loved walking and enjoyed his food but never ate too much. A couple of times he got ill and needed an operation. Even then he didn't worry but said he would 'leave it to the experts'. One important point was that he refused any medicine or drugs. He didn't trust tablets.

This marvellous man lived to get his telegram from the Queen, eventually he died in his sleep. I will always remember that his lack of worrying gave him a long healthy life.

I wish I could do that but I am a born worrier. I know stress is a killer but I find it hard to switch off from so much bad news around us.
 
Worrying about things one has valid reasons to do something about has value. For instance say, if one has an important work appointment, putting such on a Calendar and using visible physical reminders can help one's annual employment appraisals. On the other hand worrying about whether some favorite sports team is going to beat another team next week, will only unnecessarily stress a person.

Our lizard brain amygdala is the center of where that occurs. By habitually worrying unnecessarily, a person through neural plasticity is actually training their brain to tend to worry about such things. By purposely NOT dwelling on such things, one can also over time through neural plasticity, train one's brain tend to NOT worry.

There are some also things we have no control over for which we ought to expect to worry about. For instance, while watching a sporting event where one favors a local team and scores are looking ominous, our emotions and interest are what makes such worthwhile. Yes stressful, but that given moderation is part of enjoying life.

Watch this most excellent Limbic System 101 lecture by acclaimed Stanford University professor Robert Sapolosky. Will also provide an appreciation of what talented speakers are capable of.

 
I asked CHATGPT " Why do people worry?" just out of curiosity about what it would say and here is the reply that I received.
People worry for a variety of reasons, and it is a natural response to perceived threats or uncertainties. Some of the most common reasons people worry include:

  1. Fear of the unknown: When people are unsure about what might happen in the future, they may worry about the potential outcomes and feel anxious.
  2. Lack of control: People may worry when they feel they have no control over a situation, especially if it has important consequences for their life or the lives of those around them.
  3. Negative past experiences: If someone has had negative experiences in the past, they may worry that those experiences will repeat themselves in the future.
  4. Perfectionism: Perfectionists often worry that they will make a mistake or not live up to their own high standards, which can lead to anxiety and stress.
  5. Social pressure: When people feel pressure from others to behave or perform in a certain way, they may worry about meeting those expectations.
  6. Health concerns: People may worry about their health or the health of their loved ones, especially if there is a family history of certain conditions or if they have experienced health issues in the past.
Overall, worrying can be a normal and adaptive response to stress, but excessive worrying can be harmful to one's mental and physical health. If someone finds that their worrying is interfering with their daily life, it may be helpful to speak with a mental health professional.
 
Kaila said:
Worrying might help, if it causes us to think of some action, even a small one, that we could possibly do to address any part of the concern;
and, then, if we actually do it.

Or, sometimes I find it helpful to identify the worry, write it down, and decide that the present action is actually the decision not to do anything about it. Then it is sometimes more easily possible to set the paper, and the worry aside.
Click to expand...
This is exactly my take on worrying. Well said!
 
Lawrence said:
I asked CHATGPT " Why do people worry?" just out of curiosity about what it would say and here is the reply that I received.
People worry for a variety of reasons, and it is a natural response to perceived threats or uncertainties. Some of the most common reasons people worry include:

  1. Fear of the unknown: When people are unsure about what might happen in the future, they may worry about the potential outcomes and feel anxious.
  2. Lack of control: People may worry when they feel they have no control over a situation, especially if it has important consequences for their life or the lives of those around them.
  3. Negative past experiences: If someone has had negative experiences in the past, they may worry that those experiences will repeat themselves in the future.
  4. Perfectionism: Perfectionists often worry that they will make a mistake or not live up to their own high standards, which can lead to anxiety and stress.
  5. Social pressure: When people feel pressure from others to behave or perform in a certain way, they may worry about meeting those expectations.
  6. Health concerns: People may worry about their health or the health of their loved ones, especially if there is a family history of certain conditions or if they have experienced health issues in the past.
Overall, worrying can be a normal and adaptive response to stress, but excessive worrying can be harmful to one's mental and physical health. If someone finds that their worrying is interfering with their daily life, it may be helpful to speak with a mental health professional.
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Numero Tres is at the root of my problem I firmly believe
 
I don't worry much. Most of the catastrophes and calamities going on in the world these days aren't affecting me personally other than the empathy I feel for the victims, and I don't worry that something like a natural disaster is going to cause me any real hardship because of where I live. I'd probably just cash in my chips if it did. I'm not willing to be homeless or disabled, or live in constant pain.

I do ruminate about things that happened in my life... things I can't seem to accept. That's been a problem for me for a long time.
 
Parochial school and the damn nuns instilled a fear in me that I had better not screw up lest I go to hell. The end result of that was to be a perfectionist, which on balance propelled me to succeed. Getting older however, I give less and less of a damn on a lot of things anymore.
 
Chet said:
Parochial school and the damn nuns instilled a fear in me that I had better not screw up lest I go to hell. The end result of that was to be a perfectionist, which on balance propelled me to succeed. Getting older however, I give less and less of a damn on a lot of things anymore.
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And this ignorance still prevails in so many religions and in our school systems.
Sorry you had to go through that!

Worry, fear, resentment, suffering are all from lower thought functions. When these enter the mind, dismiss them
and replace them with happiness, optimism, love, wonder. Your level of thought is so important!
 
Back in 2018, I was referred to an Alzheimer Study at the local University.
This came about after informing my Doctor both my paternal grandfather and my father had Alzheimer/Dementia.

After Gene testing and other tests, they informed me that my risk was something to watch.
Since then, things are getting interesting, with some signs that can't be ignored.

Never been one who worries about things beyond my control, but this is something always in the back of my mind.

Faced a lot of things in my life, but not remembering important parts of my life is scary.
 

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