Fear, Anxiety, Stress and Worry, Oh My (Part 3)

Worry is the cognitive manifestation of stress, anxiety, and fear.   Worry involves negative thinking and rumination about stress anxiety and fear.  It erodes self-confidence, damages performance, and prevents rational or logical thinking.  Challenging negative thoughts with facts and reality often robs them of their influence.  It helps to write them down and review them to see if they have any basis in reality.  This usually allows us to see these thoughts as the fallacies they are, as irrational and illogical. It also helps if the negative thinking is replaced with something positive, like a positive affirmation. Affirmations works best when based on an honest assessment of facts and information, for example “I learn from my mistakes” or “I work to be the best I can be”.

 Fear, anxiety, stress, and worry, can result in unhealthy behaviors, from the seemly benign repetitive nail biting to the more obviously harmful overeating, smoking, or drinking.  Chronic or continued experiencing of any of them can result in poor physical and mental health.  Try some of the tactics discussed previously to help manage them.  However, if they persist, the help of a mental health professional should be considered. If you need additional help, please contact our office.