Posts tagged as:

Worry

22 Tips for Becoming a World-Class Worrier

by Mike Nichols on September 3, 2008 · 9 comments

Worry is a wonderful thing. 

It prepares us for anything that fate and the uncertainty of this world may throw us. It helps us keep tabs on the past and the future, and keeps the present in control. Worry is the mark of a thoughtful person, one who is engaged with the world.

Scoffers might call this “The 22 Habits of Highly Ineffective People,” but you and I know better. People who don’t worry are at best suspect, and in reality, irresponsible. Like Aesop’s fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant, they are fiddling away the time, willfully ignorant of the impending doom of winter’s withering blasts!

As a service to those whose worrying habits are not up to snuff, I have put together this little list of all the characteristics of world-class worriers. I’m worried that I forgot or missed a few, but I waited until the deadline and didn’t have any more time.

Following are 22 tips to make you a world-class worrier, too!

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Normal Worry vs Generalized Anxiety Disorder

by Mike Nichols on August 12, 2008 · 6 comments

Anxiety is a part of everyday life. We all worry. We all get anxious. And a little anxiety is natural, normal and even helpful.

Anxiety can act as a natural alarm system to an immediate threat. It can motivate you to foresee problems and figure out solutions. The physical symptoms of fear and anxiety can produce the adrenaline boost you need to confront real danger or a difficult situation. It can help you pass tests, be more productive and face the big challenges in your life.

Dr. Neil Rector, Head of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s Anxiety Disorders Clinic in Toronto, says,

It’s important to remember that anxiety is normal and is experienced by every living organism, right down to the sea slug. It is necessary in humans for survival and adaptation, and it is not in the least harmful or dangerous. Anxiety is typically short-lived, and in some cases moderate levels of anxiety actually enhance performance.

But when worry and anxiety will not go away, will not “switch off,” it can grow and grow until it becomes a real problem. If it leads to significant distress and impairment, it may signal the beginnings of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

So, when are anxiety and worry normal? And when are they symptoms of GAD?

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