- Home
- Find a Therapist
- Topic Streams
- Get Help
Mental Health
Addiction
ADHD
Anxiety
Asperger's
Autism
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
Eating Disorders
Insomnia
OCDPersonality
Passive Aggression
Personality
ShynessPersonal Growth
Happiness
Goal Setting
Positive PsychologyRelationships
Low Sexual Desire
Relationships
SexEmotion Management
Anger
Procrastination
StressFamily Life
Adolescents
Child Development
Elder Care
Parenting
SiblingsRecently Diagnosed?
Diagnosis Dictionary
- Magazine
- Tests
- Psych Basics
- Experts
What is the difference between unproductive worry and productive worry? How can you turn productive worry into productive action? Not all of our worries are useless. Some worry can be productive. Read More
“What if I fail? What if I
“What if I fail? What if I get thrown out of school? What if I end up homeless? What if my parents disown me for letting them down?” This kind of thinking made me stay in my dorm during second semester until the Academic Review Board decided I needed to take a leave since I am a bright student lol
Productive Worry
I agree with your concept but find the word concern preferable to productive worry. To me, it is clearer.
To-Do List
What do I when I know there are actions I can take to alleviate the worry but I'm just stuck in not knowing exactly what to do and just being paralyzed not doing anything?
overcoming avoidance
Dear Patrick: You raise an important issue that I discuss in my book The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You. Some things to think about and try in overcoming procrastination and avoidance: 1) list the costs and benefits of each alternative--e.g., doing nothing vs. doing something; 2) ask yourself how you will feel after you do something---don't just focus on discomfort; 3) invest in constructive discomfort and successful imperfection (which I describe in my book); 4)recognize that doing nothing is a choice; 5) set a specific time to carry out the action; 6) write out your negative prediction and then collect information about what actually happens; 7) Reward yourself for doing something.
Post new comment