The real reasons we worry

Worry is the price we pay for having brains that are capable of thinking forward – because we can imagine the future, we can also imagine what might go wrong. It can feel like a curse, but worry does serve a purpose. It’s thought that our ancestors who worried the most about what may be lurking outside their caves were the ones who lived long enough to reproduce, and pass on their worry genes. A recent US study suggested worry may have evolved alongside intelligence, and our cleverer ancestors were more inclined to worry excessively. And even though we’re no longer dodging sabre-tooth tigers, there’s evidence that worrying still has a protective function. According to one study, children who are the biggest worriers are the least likely to suffer a fatal accident before the age of 25.

Worrying can also be a sign of high verbal intelligence, and research shows worriers are more likely to describe their lives as meaningful. And rather than simply being a waste of mental energy, worrying can help you find solutions to problems, as well as the motivation to change. Worriers are also more likely to be creative – a recent Kings College London study found worriers had more activity in a part of the bran called the medial prefrontal cortex, which is the brain’s fear centre, but also the centre of creativity. Worrying can also give you insight into your values, and what really matters to you – worries often reveal important goals. Your immediate worry might be whether your children spend too long playing computer games, for example, but at the heart of the worry is your goal to be a good parent. Other worries might reveal a goal to stay healthy or be financially secure.

Unlike anxiety, which is an emotion, worry is a thought process. Worry can also help motivate you – if you’re worried about a big meeting or presentation at work, you’ll be far more likely to prepare thoroughly rather than winging it. But it’s a thought process that needs to be managed as it can easily generate a stress response and undermine your confidence. Spend too much time worrying, or worry about a wide range of things, and it can become destructive, putting you at risk of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

READ MORE – 8 Ways to Control Worrying