'Don't Worry be happy' was a hit in 1989, but what does it mean? Is there a 'worry' button you can turn off? Worrying is not as bad a response to a situation as people patting your back and asking you to cheer up make it seem.
In small doses worrying can help you recover from trauma and depression, and increase healthy behaviors, says an article in New York Magazine. "worries tends to be more successful problem-solvers, higher performers at work and in graduate school, and more proactive and informed when it comes to handling stressful events."
We all know why worrying is considered bad. It is unpleasant and distracting, makes us irritable and deprives us of sleep. "It sucks up so much of your mental energy that it can be impossible to actually focus on what's happening in front of you."
But when participants in a 1996 study were asked if they could list some upsides of worrying, they said it made them better planners, more analytical thinkers, and conscientious. Worriers were more likely to have safe sex, wear sunscreen, and buckle their seat belts, the article says.
How did worrying produce positive outcomes? Active worriers don't just take steps to prevent something bad from happening but also try to reduce their own need to worry. If you are stressed over a job interview, you will not only spend more time preparing for it but also look out for other jobs. "It's like the opposite of a vicious cycle - the more you worry, the more you plan, the less worried you actually need to be."
Even if things don't work out, people who have been worrying about failure are prepared for it. "For a constant worrier, bad news is rarely a total shock"
In small doses worrying can help you recover from trauma and depression, and increase healthy behaviors, says an article in New York Magazine. "worries tends to be more successful problem-solvers, higher performers at work and in graduate school, and more proactive and informed when it comes to handling stressful events."
We all know why worrying is considered bad. It is unpleasant and distracting, makes us irritable and deprives us of sleep. "It sucks up so much of your mental energy that it can be impossible to actually focus on what's happening in front of you."
But when participants in a 1996 study were asked if they could list some upsides of worrying, they said it made them better planners, more analytical thinkers, and conscientious. Worriers were more likely to have safe sex, wear sunscreen, and buckle their seat belts, the article says.
How did worrying produce positive outcomes? Active worriers don't just take steps to prevent something bad from happening but also try to reduce their own need to worry. If you are stressed over a job interview, you will not only spend more time preparing for it but also look out for other jobs. "It's like the opposite of a vicious cycle - the more you worry, the more you plan, the less worried you actually need to be."
Even if things don't work out, people who have been worrying about failure are prepared for it. "For a constant worrier, bad news is rarely a total shock"
