The Upside of Worrying: Why Worrying Can Be Good for You
Studies show women fret a lot more than men. If you're a worry wart, you're probably not surprised. But here's the good news: Worrying helps us to make the right decisions - especially about our health and our wallets. Think about it. Without a certain amount of fretting about our health, would we really make our annual appointment for a mammogram, go to the gym or wear a seat belt?
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"Good worry is like a smoke detector that nature has built into our brains," explains psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell, MD, author of Worry: Hope and Help for a Common Condition. Worry alerts us to danger. It also helps solve problems. If you're worried about bouncing checks, you'll be more likely to set up a cash reserve.
That's probably why we're actually wired for "good worry" thanks to a part of the brain called the anterior insula, which helps us predict, and thus avoid, danger. So, when you're about to buy an entire case of warehouse-store cookies because they're on sale and that little voice inside your head says, Don't do it, you'll just eat them all, it's probably a good idea to listen.
But while good worry has its benefits, fretting over future problems -- your spouse's car might crash, your college age son might get seriously ill -- is most often a complete waste of energy. Eighty-five percent of the time people's worst fears never materialize, according to a study published in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.
Since these kind of worriers have a hard time staying in the here and now, take deep breaths to plant yourself in the present. Inhale slowly and deeply into your abdomen (not your chest), then focus on exhaling. You can use this technique anywhere to remain calm. Studies show that deep breathing lowers blood pressure, slows down your heart rate and helps to take the "bad" kind of worry away.
Robin Westen is a freelance journalist who writes for numerous national women's magazines including "Family Circle," "Ladies' Home Journal," "More," "Self," " Parents," "Pilates Style," "Good Housekeeping," "Glamour," "Cosmopolitan" and others. She specializes in health, relationships, sex issues and parenting. Westen has authored several books including her most recent, " V IS FOR VAGINA: Your A-Z Guide to Periods, Piercings, Pleasure and So Much More,"co-authored with Alyssa Dweck.
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