Worry: the feeling that immobilizes the present

Worry is another mental state that can rob us of a great deal of energy and well-being. Some authors clearly distinguish between "worrying" and "occupying."

Worrying is a mental act that immobilizes us in the present because of things that could happen in the future. Occupying, on the other hand, is acting in the present to prepare for or influence that future.

Worry is endemic in our culture.

It is a socially accepted and culturally transmitted feeling. It is often confused with being a responsible or forward-thinking person.

However, we must be clear that worry, in and of itself, is useless. Not a single moment of worry has ever made things better.

On the contrary, worry has a very negative effect: it negates our effectiveness in the present.

When our minds are caught in a loop of ''what if this happens?'' or ''what if that happens?'', we can't focus on what we need to do in the here and now.

Our mental energy is wasted on hypothetical scenarios that, for the most part, will never happen.

The writer Mark Twain put it brilliantly: ''I have had a thousand troubles in my life, most of which never really happened.''

This quote perfectly captures the nature of worry. It is a misuse of our imagination.

It makes us suffer in advance for things that probably won't happen. Or that, if they happen, they will require action, not worry.

The first step in managing it is to understand its futility and the high cost it has on our peace of mind and productivity.

Summary

Worry consumes energy and well-being without providing real solutions. Unlike "taking care," which implies action, worrying immobilizes us and takes us out of the present, affecting our effectiveness and concentration.

In our culture, worry is often seen as a sign of responsibility, but it is an unproductive emotion. We get lost in future and fictional thoughts, which prevents us from acting clearly in the present.

Phrases like Mark Twain's reflect this phenomenon well: most of our fears never happen. The key to combating worry is to recognize its futility and redirect that energy into concrete action.