Author: Juli Shulem
Worrying is psychologically debilitating and The Opposite of Worrying Planning Recently, I helped a client eliminate the worrying component in his narrative which was causing serious procrastination. This is not unusual, and here are some thoughts for those who find themselves trapped in this wheel of hell. I understand worry intimately. I know those who […]
Worrying is psychologically debilitating and The Opposite of Worrying Planning
Recently, I helped a client eliminate the worrying component in his narrative which was causing serious procrastination. This is not unusual, and here are some thoughts for those who find themselves trapped in this wheel of hell. I understand worry intimately. I know those who are chronic worriers and it can quite literally ruin your life. Everything elicits worry in their mind. The truth is that the majority of the things people worry about never manifest into anything at all.
“Time wasted when you don’t know what the outcome will be, but insist on ruminating on the possibilities.”
This is what most people do when they worry – they mull over ALL the possible problems that could occur – often to the point of mental paralysis. This can lead to serious procrastination and even stagnation. The epitome of ‘going nowhere in a hurry!” Worrying is mainly a cognitive process (Breznitz, 1971) – that means it’s all in your head.
If you are someone who worries a lot – my advice is to PLAN more.
Planning gives you a chance to consider potential roadblocks during the planning process. Let’s say you have a big project that is due soon and you are “worrying” about all the steps that need to occur in order to complete it, as well as the outcome, how it will be perceived, etc. Fine. Try this instead:
If you are so wound-up that you are too stuck to get busy, then pick the smallest, easiest first step and just do that. Starting – on anything really – gets the process going and tends to spur us into action. You may actually notice that starting that first step reduces the anxiety that’s holding you back.
“Worrying is simply the feeling caused by not knowing if something will or will not happen.” Well, if you PLAN ahead – you don’t have to concern yourself about whether something will or will not happen – you MAKE it happen. Done. Worrying is a complete waste of time. Literally.
Instead of sitting around worrying about whether it will or will not happen, you could be making progress on changing the outcome of a situation. Well, guess what? If you sit around worrying about it – you have a significantly greater chance of that thing NOT happening. Good job! Worrying can make things worse in reality by disrupting your performance of the tasks and making you miserable in the process (Davey, Tallis, & Capuzzo, 1996). However, if you plan what needs to happen and can SEE – in writing – the potential of it happening – rarely will worry creep into your mind and impede your progress.
So, the next time you start letting the ‘worry-wart’ tendencies to start growing in your mind – plan everything out and get started. This starting will help ward off negative thoughts and once you see the progress made on your tasks, chances are that the worrying will become a non-issue. Don’t worry – You’ve got this!
Breznitz, S. (1971). A study of worrying. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 10(3), 271-279.
Davey, G. C., Tallis, F., & Capuzzo, N. (1996). Beliefs about the consequences of worrying. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 20(5), 499-520.
Article written by Juli Shulem
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
Author Profile
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Odds are good that you’re doing 10 SMALL THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T SWEAT AT WORK things to proactively manage how you present yourself at work: writing concise emails, speaking up in meetings, and trying not to make your sentences sound like questions. But when you’re in the first phases of your career, sometimes understanding office etiquette […]
Siphiwe Moyo’s new book, called “Your Next Move” hits the shelves this week. Career Strategies to Survive and Thrive During Covid-19 and Beyond. As we all think about our responses to COVID-19, we have to try both offence and defence career strategies to survive. In other words, you need to try and hold on to […]
While The Future of Optimization has permeated our culture at large, it is Gen Z that has grown up in era when technology has enabled them to optimize everything from their sleep and their workouts to their study habits and even their intellect. Last year, I interviewed executives who work in the vitamin division of […]
What do you do if you hate your job? You have three options: you can stay and suffer, you can look for a new job, or you can change the way you view your work. The best choice is to focus on yourself and what makes you happy. This way, even if you’re still at […]
Is Complacency Putting You Risk? Lessons From a Fighter Pilot Flying taught me a valuable lesson about life: complacency can cause serious problems for ourselves and those around us. In this newsletter, share a personal story about the dangers of complacency including the following topics: Complacency Consequences What leads to complacency? Signs Complacency is Creeping […]
Things that were no-brainers in meetings two years ago are now fraught with public health and Meetings Etiquette concerns. How do you ask whether someone is OK shaking hands? How do you indicate that you yourself aren’t comfortable—or that you are? How do you indicate someone is too physically close for comfort? Before walking into […]
“Technology is exponential but humans are not and can do great things, but it does not WANT to do great things – it does not want anything” says Apple’s CEO Tim Cook (a quote I have often used in my talks). Technology is a tool not a purpose – see my ‘carpenter and the hammer example’ (video). “Both […]
During my tenure as a vice president of human resources for a credit union in Maryland, I worked with how to manage a high performing employee and with two human resources generalists on my team. Both were good at their jobs; they each had completed training and certifications in HR. Yet one was exceptional—she had […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
