Excessive worry can interfere with sleep and inhibit your ability to perform daily tasks and activities. Find out what you can do to minimize your fears.
Fear is a negative emotion, unless you’re facing an actual threat and need to fight or flee. And the usefulness of fear is minimal in daily life, particularly in the form of anxiety. Stressful events can produce short-term anxiety in almost everyone, which disappears after the event. But for an estimated 6.8 million Americans with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), anxiety is a chronic condition they can’t shut off. All of us know people we accept as “born worriers,” but their reality is much more debilitating than that title describes. Being in a state of chronic anxiety can severely limit their daily activity.
You probably know already if you worry excessively. In fact, if you have chronic anxiety, even the smallest thing can trigger it. You find yourself with fearful thoughts about finances, family, your health, and what’s happening at work. Some days you’d rather hide under the covers.
