Worry is a frequent companion for anyone who lives with anxiety. I define it as the quiet form of anxiety that shows up as repetitive thoughts, “what if” scenarios, and mental rehearsals of the “worst case” outcomes.

As much as we wish the solution to worry were simple, the commands to “Just stop worrying. Let it go. Calm down” just don't work. That’s not because you are weak or broken, but because worry is more than just a thought. Worry is its own emotional and physiological response to fear.

Worry is not your enemy. It exists because you care about your health, your loved ones, your work, and your future.

At its best, worry:

The trouble comes when your worry attaches to things you cannot actually influence, such as other people’s choices, unpredictable events, or imagined disasters. In those moments, worry has nowhere useful to go. It loops, escalates, and starts to feel like it is running you. To get a handle on it, follow these steps.

When you feel caught in worry, pause and ask yourself:

What am I really afraid of? Go one layer deeper. Is it fear of failure, loss, rejection, being........

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