It is normal to feel worried from time to time. Work, relationships, money, and health are things that almost everyone worries about on occasion. But when those worries begin to get excessive, you could face mental and physical health problems. Excessive worrying is when you worry about everyday events, or when you never seem to stop worrying, or when constantly focus on what could happen in the future.
What effects can worrying have on your mental health?
If you’re excessively worrying, you may start to notice a decline in your mental health. You might have frequent feelings of impending doom and/or be extremely irritable. You’ll start to have trouble concentrating on anything else but your worries.
You may even find yourself starting to feel depressed. You could start withdrawing socially or might not have an interest in old hobbies.
Sometimes excessive worrying can be a sign of an anxiety disorder. If you find that your worries are starting to consume your life and you’re struggling to go about your daily life, it is recommended that you visit a doctor.
What effects can worrying have on your physical health?
You’ll also start noticing a change in your physical health. You might find yourself suffering from frequent headaches or stomach aches. You might also start to notice other unexplained aches and pains. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself growing fatigued, especially if your worries are keeping you up at night.
Excessive worrying can also cause your heart to pound and your breath to quicken. Worrying can also increase your blood pressure, which can lead to health complications such as stroke or heart attack.
Some individuals also experience panic attacks. Panic attacks can make you feel as though you’re losing control over your body or mind. They come on suddenly. You’ll feel intense fear (even when there is nothing to feel afraid of). Your heart will start to palpitate and you’ll feel sharp pains in your chest. Some individuals confuse panic attacks with heart attacks. If you suspect that you’re having panic attacks, you’ll want to set up a time to talk to your doctor as soon as possible.
What can you do to stop worrying?
One of the best ways to stop worrying is to distract your mind. Whenever you start to worry, find something else to do, such as taking a walk, watching television, or reading a book. Think about the hobbies that you like to do. Make a list of these hobbies and keep the list readily available. Whenever you find your mind starting to worry, grab your list, and choose something to do.
In addition to your list of activities, start practicing self-care techniques.
Take care of your physical fitness and nutrition. Exercising regularly releases endorphins that can decrease your stress and anxiety. Yoga and meditation are other good techniques that can help you feel more relaxed.
Meditation is easy to do even when you’re at work. To start meditating, find a quiet spot, close your eyes, and start taking deep breaths in through your nose. Focus on your breathing and nothing else. Even if you’re not in a position to find a quiet spot, taking deep breaths can help calm your mind.
When should you reach out to others?
It is never too early to reach out to others! Sometimes talking to a friend or a family member or even a psychic advisor online at heraldnet.com, can provide a unique perspective that can help you overcome your worries.
It can be hard to reach out to others. You might feel like you have nobody to talk to or you might feel like your problems are insignificant enough to talk about.
Once you begin building a network of people you can talk to, however, you’ll find that there are plenty of people willing to listen to you. The key is to find a good balance. If you go out to dinner with a friend, don’t spend the entire time talking about yourself. Chat a few minutes about your worries and then move onto another topic.
You may also want to reach out to a doctor or therapist. This is a good way to get an outside perspective on your worries.
Conclusion
Excessive worrying is no joke. It can destroy your ability to mentally and physically function. If you suspect that you worry more than most people, start finding ways to distract your mind and practice self-care. If you’re unable to deal with your worries on your own, reach out to a friend or a medical professional.
