Worry isn’t something that happens to you, it’s actually something that you do, that you subconsciously choose to do, because it serves a function- your brain rewards you for it. And then it becomes a habit. If you want to learn how to worry less, you need to understand why your brain likes to worry, because that will free you to find a replacement for that habitual type of thinking.
So in this video you’ll learn the 3 subconscious benefits you get from worry, and how to retrain your brain to worry less. First off, I have to credit Dr. Martin Rossman, he’s the author of “The Worry Solution” and he’s an expert in mind/body medicine. This video is basically a concise excerpt from his longer, excellent youtube video “How your Brain can turn anxiety into calmness”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYJdekjiAog
OK, so worry serves at least 3 functions. But real quick, let’s define worry: Worry is a form of thinking, cognition, it’s imagining future outcomes, usually the bad ones. It’s considering all the things that could possibly go wrong. Stress is the physiological response, it’s what happens in your body when you are physically threatened- like a huge dog jumps out to attack you, your adrenaline surges, your heart rate and breathing increase, your blood pressure goes up. While worry happens in your mind, stress is what happens in your body. And it doesn’t just respond to physical threats, you can have a physical response to being rejected by your peers or getting an angry email from your boss.
Anxiety- Is the emotional response, it happens in the limbic system in your brain. I consider it a combination of thoughts and physical reactions, but it basically creates a strong motivation to avoid a threat. If you’re anxious around heights, it makes you back away from the cliff edge. If you’re anxious about an upcoming test, you try to avoid that anxiety by either studying harder or procrastinating.
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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction. And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services. Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
