GAD Coping How to Stop Worrying About the Future By Sheryl Ankrom, MS, LCPC Sheryl Ankrom, MS, LCPC LinkedIn Sheryl Ankrom is a clinical professional counselor and nationally certified clinical mental health counselor specializing in anxiety disorders. Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 10, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD Medically reviewed by Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD LinkedIn Twitter Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor at Yeshiva University’s clinical psychology doctoral program. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Verywell / Laura Porter Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Why We Worry Avoid Fortune Telling Analyze Risks Schedule Time to Worry Replace Worrisome Thoughts Use Relaxation Techniques Getting Help It’s normal to worry from time to time. Given life’s many unknowns and challenges, worry is a natural response to many situations. However, chronic and all-consuming worry can be troublesome and interfere with our ability to function freely and calmly in our daily lives. Here are some helpful tips to reduce your worrisome and negative thoughts. Press Play for Advice On Reducing Worry Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how to stop worrying about things you can't control. Click below to listen now. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / RSS Why Do We Worry About the Future? Stress is a natural response to uncertainty. When we're in a new situation or facing confusing circumstances, it's normal to feel worried about what the future may hold. These feelings help us anticipate what may come and may even motivate us. In small amounts, stress can be beneficial. When that stress becomes chronic, however, we may start to see negative effects on our mental and physical well-being. Worrying too much can also cause us to avoid the things we find stressful, which can worsen anxiety. People who worry chronically may also perceive things differently from others. They may anticipate that negative things will happen more often and may show a heightened response to real and perceived threats. Recap Some amount of stress and worry are normal, but chronic anxiety about the future can have a detrimental effect on your health and well-being. Avoid Fortune Telling When you find yourself worrying about a future event because you are picturing a negative outcome, you are, in effect, saying, “I can predict the future.” But, the fact is, you can’t, and you are worried about what may happen, not what will happen. Worry itself serves no purpose unless it spurs a plan of action. Analyze the Risks If your mind has been taken over by chronic worry, your risk assessment skills may be distorted. You may even find yourself consumed with worry about future possibilities when there isn’t any real evidence that the negative event will actually come to pass. For example, perhaps you constantly worry about your job performance and fear being fired, but you have received no indication from your boss, or anyone else, that you’re not performing up to par. Looking at your situation realistically may help you reduce your worry. Schedule Time to Worry Some people find it helpful to schedule 30 minutes each day just to worry. If worrisome thoughts creep in at any other time, put them aside by telling yourself you have a scheduled time to worry. Your goal is to worry only during your scheduled 30 minutes each day. Identify and Replace Worrisome Thoughts Write down your worrisome and distressful thoughts. Alongside each worrisome thought, list some positive substitution statements. For example, if you worry that your plane may crash during upcoming air travel, you may counter this thought with: "Statistically, air travel is safe. Professional and competent airline staff are in control, and I can just relax and enjoy my trip." You can also try using thought-stopping to quiet your worrisome mind. Learn and Practice Relaxation Techniques By learning and practicing relaxation techniques, you will be able to reduce intrusive worry. Some techniques that may be helpful include: Deep breathing Guided imagery Journaling Meditation Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) Getting Help If chronic worrying is getting in the way of your everyday life, it may be time to seek professional help. A therapist may be able to help you get to the bottom of your worrying and learn skills and techniques to cope. The Best Online Therapy Programs We've tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Summary Worry is a normal part of life, but chronic or excessive worry can negatively impact your health and well-being. Learning stress-reduction and relaxation techniques can help you get the symptoms of chronic worrying under control. Cognitive skills like avoiding fortune-telling, replacing negative thoughts, and scheduling a time to worry can also offer benefits. If you are experiencing chronic anxiety about the future, therapy can support you through the process of learning new coping skills. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 7 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Granier KL, Segal DL, Coolidge FL. Relationships among executive dysfunction, constructive worrying, and worry responses in older adults. Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2020;1-16. doi:10.1177/0091415019896227 Aschbacher K, O'Donovan A, Wolkowitz OM, Dhabhar FS, Su Y, Epel E. 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A better state-of-mind: Deep breathing reduces state anxiety and enhances test performance through regulating test cognitions in children. Cogn Emot. 2017;31(7):1502-1510. doi:10.1080/02699931.2016.1233095 Speak to a Therapist for GAD Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.