Worrying can be very debilitating. It can cause a lot of stress. Worrying is unnecessary, because the situations you fear rarely happen. Even if the concerns are justified, it is a solution that is needed not lost sleep and headaches.
Worrying leads to low moods and damages physical and emotional health. Effects can be; sleeping poorly, depression, panic attacks, smoking and drinking more, headaches and irritable bowel syndrome. As well as becoming introspective and self-centred, you develop a "selective attention", permanently searching for clues around you that confirm you’re worrying. If, for example, you worry that you are going to be burgled, you will notice "signs" that you would usually ignore. Worrying also produces a vicious circle - the more you worry, the worse you feel, the more you worry.
If you are to worry, it helps to talk. Feedback often puts your thinking back into perspective and reduces the distortions, enabling you to voice your feelings. Below is a process that will help you take control.
Worrying can alert you to danger and thus prompt action. If your cat is making a strange sound, or not eating, you would probably go to the vets. You will be "problem-solving" rather than worrying. Unlike worrying, problem-solving involves clearly identifying the problem, examining all available options, choosing the most advantageous, and then planning a strategy for accomplishing the chosen option.