4 Steps to Navigate Worry

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We have all experienced worry at some point in our lives. It might be a standard concern that surfaces from time to time. But if you struggle with generalized anxiety, worry can be all-consuming. It might look like asking ourselves a series of “what if” questions in hopes to resolve a hypothetical problem. 

The REAL problem is you might be getting caught in a spiral of uncertain doom. 

With worry comes great possibility. Some “what if” questions might be:

What if I lose control?

What if I get a life-threatening disease?

What if I screw up?

What if I fail?

It might be hard for you to ignore these worries, and they can fully take over once worry sinks it’s teeth in.

What Happens When You Worry?

Worry in excess can cause us to feel unpleasant physical sensations, like dizziness, and chest tightness. Worry causes our bodies to tense up, to the point where we might feel physical pain and stiffness in our muscles. 

In attempts to control worry, “what if” scenarios play over and over in our minds. What if I did the wrong thing? Did I make a mistake? It also plays out in our behaviours, and how we respond to anxiety-evoking situations. You might ask others for excessive reassurance, and over-plan or over-prepare for situations to find relief and prevent negative outcomes. 

In efforts to gain some sense of certainty, in reality, it is a false sense of control. 

When is Worry Helpful?

When is worry warranted? Humans have a natural stress response designed to protect you from actual danger that pre-dates back to evolutionary times, where life or death was often in question. An example of real danger is if you encounter a bear in the woods, the body’s stress response gets activated. Heart rate might accelerate, pupils dilate, and your body prepares you to take action. 

Alternatively, before writing a school exam, your body’s stress response might still activate. This stress response is there to keep you alive, and your body may not recognize that you are actually safe and sound. Despite this, we actually need this natural mechanism to survive actual life or death situations!

When is Worry Unhelpful?

Take a moment to notice how worry plays a role in your day-to-day life. If you think about how many hours are in a given day, think about how many hours you might be preoccupied with worry. Are you spending countless minutes or hours thinking about a potential future problem? Are you losing sense of time and space when you are worried? Is this problem you are worried about possible or likely?

Often the problems we worry about are catastrophic in nature and unlikely to happen. 

4 Steps to Help You Navigate Worry

I created a strategy to help you navigate unhelpful worry. “NOTE” can help you build awareness the next time you are entangled in worry, thinking about a disastrous “what if” scenario. 

1. Notice the trigger:

Notice what is coming up in this very moment; the trigger in this situation.

Pay attention to your surroundings- where are you? Who are you with right now? Stop and ask yourself, what is happening? When was the moment I started to worry? What happened right before I started to worry?

2. Observe your thoughts:

Observe your negative thoughts that came to visit. Take a pen and paper, and write them all down.

To help you identify your negative thoughts, ask yourself - what just popped into my mind? What thoughts led me to feel worried? If someone were reading my mind, what would they notice? What ‘what if’ scenarios am I focused on? Here are some examples: “What if I get sick?” “What if they die?” “What if I go crazy?” “What if they don’t like me?”

3. Tame the reaction:

Tame the reaction by evaluating the misinterpretation.

Pick 1 worry from step 2, and write it down at the top of the page. You might want to choose the worry bothering you the most.

Underneath, answer the following questions - is this realistic? Is this worry serving me or is it draining me? Could this be an exaggeration? How might I be misinterpreting this situation? Is there a better explanation for what’s happening here? Am I thinking the worst case scenario? If so, what is a more helpful perspective? 

4. Express self-compassion: 

You might be feeling frustrated or even down on yourself, which is common for many of us who have anxiety. Now, it is time to give yourself some credit.

Ask yourself, what am I proud of after completing this exercise? How am I viewing the situation differently? What have I learned? What do I want to remember? How can I be kinder to myself next time? 

Then repeat this exercise for subsequent thoughts!

Remember, this process is not easy. With repetition, evaluating your “what if” thoughts can broaden your perspective. It might appear that your worry is very real. However, you may likely come to realize that after putting it to test, it’s just another guess!

Sincerely,

Your CBT Therapist

Please note the following information is not intended to replace therapy and this resource is distributed free online solely for the purpose of psycho-education. If you are experiencing significant mental health concerns, particularly where your functioning has been impaired, it is strongly recommended you seek support in the form of appropriate psychotherapeutic treatment in your local area.

Resources 

Borkovec, T. (1985). Worry: a potentially valuable concept. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 23, p.481-482

CMHA National. (2021, November 17). Fast facts about mental health and mental illness. Canadian Mental Health Association. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://cmha.ca/brochure/fast-facts-about-mental-illness/ 

Matthews, A. (1990). Why worry? the cognitive function of anxiety. Behaviour Research Therapy, 28, p. 455-468.

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