Worrying Does Not Take Away Tomorrow’s Troubles

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“Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.”

Dr. Robert Adler, the first to study the physiological effects of worrying once remarked, “If you don’t relax, you’re going to worry yourself to death.” Indeed, his studies proved the theory that worrying does more harm than good to the body. In the book “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers”, author Robert Sapolsky showed the difference how zebras and humans face threats: zebras either run or get eaten while humans get stressed through worrying.

Although most of the stressors humans face today are not of the Stone Age era, the human body uses the same mechanism in handling stress. The Fight or Flight survival response gets activated when one thinks of deadlines, financial problems, personal crises, etc. Accordingly, the body turns up the blood pressure and heart rate while turning down the body functions unnecessary for immediate survival. If you worry a lot, chances are you’ll be more vulnerable to illnesses like cancer and diabetes, plus you will most likely suffer from a cardiovascular disease.

Most of the time, worrying is rooted on the fear of unknown. Other than sorting out this irrational fear, psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell believes that consulting with a friend lightens the burden. In an interview with “Science of Us”, he said that “worrying alone does not have to be toxic, but it tends to become toxic because in isolation we lose perspective.”

Genetic factors also come into play, which makes worrying irresistible to some. Yet in the long run, it is better to face one’s problems level-headedly and seek the counsel of someone who could really help.