Humans worry. We worry about bills, relationships – we even worry about whether or not our favorite TV show will be canceled, or if we checked the mail this morning.
Worry is stress. Those that find themselves with anxiety, depression, or simply living unfulfilling lives may be struggling with too many worries, and unfortunately most worries are simply not worth the time and attention that we give them.
The Over Justification of Worry
Worrying never feels irrational. If we worry, it means that our minds have somehow come to a logical conclusion that justifies the concern. It’s not easy to tell someone they don’t need to worry. They’ll likely be able to come up with 10 reasons that they do need to worry to prove that their concern is warranted.
But so often there isn’t a true justification for wasting energy on worry, and you may benefit from changing your mindset to one that isn’t so focused on these issues. Most worries fall under one of the following issues:
- Not That Important – Often the worry we have simply isn’t that important, even though we feel like it is. Spending time worrying about whether we signed out name on a small homework assignment that was not worth many points, or worrying about whether we might be asked a question at a meeting even though we know the answer.
- Easy to Solve – Similarly, the problem may be easy to solve regardless of the outcome. An example might be not being able to have time to dry the clothes in the dryer right away before you have to leave to the store. The clothes can wait, or you can wash them again. Either way, the problem is easy to solve and ultimately not worth the worry.
- Nothing You Can Do – Let’s say you need to make a purchase of a new car, but your credit score is not very high or you haven’t saved enough for a down payment. You can worry all you want that you haven’t purchased the car, but worrying will not create money or improve your credit. Worrying in the moment doesn’t change anything.
These are only some of the many examples of times when it’s simply not worth it to worry. Although it may seem as though the issue is important – indeed, it may even be important – the actual worrying itself only causes stress on our lives that we could easily do without, and doesn’t change the future in any meaningful way.
