Do you sometimes think you worry too much? 

If your worries often feel overwhelming or uncontrollable, then you may have a problem with worry. This can sometimes be called generalised anxiety. 

If you’re having this sort of problem, you might recognise some of the common experiences described below.  

How your body might feel

• Faster or shallow breathing 
• Increased heart rate  
• Tense or tight in your muscles, headaches 
• Restless, unable to relax 
• You may notice pains when worrying more 
• Trembling 
• Dry mouth 
• Sweating 
• Nauseousness 
• Exhaustion

Thoughts you might have

• “This is going to be a disaster” 
• “Something terrible is going to happen, I know it” 
• “What will I do if that happens?” 
• “I’m not going to be able to cope” 
• “This is my fault” 

Feelings you might have

• Upset and sadness 
• Feeling keyed up or on edge 
• Overwhelmed 
• Anticipation and dread 
• Irritable 

Things you might do

• Ask people around you for reassurance 
• Try to stop worrying or stop your worried thoughts 
• Pacing 
• Staying busy e.g. doing things around the house 
• Avoiding uncertain situations 
• Trying to control what’s going on around you as much as possible 
• Have difficulty sleeping

If these sound familiar to you, you can find out more about worry in the ‘Learn’ section of this website. You’ll also find some tips and strategies for managing your worries in the ‘Manage’ section.