Research by T. D. Borkovec and colleagues of Penn State University took a look at how worry manifests itself. The founds that worries have greater feelings of tension, anxiety and apprehension, and that their focus is on the future, rather than the past or present. Of course, the future is unknowable, and worriers have a tendency to try to think about the future as a way of making it more predictable. Worries think up lots of What if.... scenarios to try to work out what might happen. The subjects of this research rated motivation, preparation for the worst, and avoidance and prevention of negative outcomes as the most typical reasons for their worry.
In this research, people who considered themselves to be worriers, felt their worries to be uncontrollable once worrying was initiated. This and other research shows that worrying consists of intrusive thoughts which pop up uninvited, rather than intrusive images (which happens with anxiety.)
The researchers assessed the ability of non-worriers and worriers to concentrate on a monotonous task after they had been asked to do some worrying for set periods.
For both worriers and non-worriers, 15 min of worry resulted in an increase in the amount of negative intrusive thoughts. Thus, even non-worriers experienced these unpleasant intrusive thoughts when they were asked to do some worrying. The process of worrying causes these unpleasant thoughts, and thus for worriers, keeps the cycle turning. Worrying makes the intrusive thoughts worse.
Worriers seem generally more pessimistic. This research shows that before the worry period, worriers reported significantly higher anxiety. depression and hostility, a lower frequency of focused attention and a greater frequency of negative thought intrusions than did non-worriers.
So worrying gets in the way of feeling good. Cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy will help you get out of the habit.
In this research, people who considered themselves to be worriers, felt their worries to be uncontrollable once worrying was initiated. This and other research shows that worrying consists of intrusive thoughts which pop up uninvited, rather than intrusive images (which happens with anxiety.)
The researchers assessed the ability of non-worriers and worriers to concentrate on a monotonous task after they had been asked to do some worrying for set periods.
For both worriers and non-worriers, 15 min of worry resulted in an increase in the amount of negative intrusive thoughts. Thus, even non-worriers experienced these unpleasant intrusive thoughts when they were asked to do some worrying. The process of worrying causes these unpleasant thoughts, and thus for worriers, keeps the cycle turning. Worrying makes the intrusive thoughts worse.
Worriers seem generally more pessimistic. This research shows that before the worry period, worriers reported significantly higher anxiety. depression and hostility, a lower frequency of focused attention and a greater frequency of negative thought intrusions than did non-worriers.
So worrying gets in the way of feeling good. Cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy will help you get out of the habit.
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