Worried vs. anxious: Do you know the difference? Worried vs. anxious: Do you know the difference?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, uncertain about the future, or as though you are lacking companionship and connection? Pema Chodron, an inspiring and wise Buddhist teacher reminds us that “the root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have”. Worry is a natural reaction to the uncertainty of everyday life that can be uncomfortable and even fear-provoking.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults in the United States suffer from anxiety. If nearly 20 percent of adults over the age of 18 in America are suffering from anxiety, it may be a worthy moment to ask: why do we experience so much worry?

Today’s lifestyle asks us to function at very high levels of productivity, constantly on the go, constantly thinking, and is resulting in busier lifestyles than we have ever endured as a species. Compared to our hunter-and-gatherer predecessors, we experience much more isolation and live in environments that are often removed from the natural world. For many of us, everyday worrying manifests as a reaction to this busy and contemporary way of life.

Worry can manifest itself as uncertain thoughts about the future like, ‘what if I can’t do it?’, ‘what if it’s too hard?’, ‘what if I’m not good enough?’. Thoughts such as these can be common and appropriate pressure releases in this challenging world.

We may voice or feel worry and experience a resettling in our nervous system. However common and manageable worry may rise to the level of more debilitating anxiety if accompanied by physical sensations like increased heart rate or sweating, and emotional components like fear, guilt, or insecurity. It is important to know that anxiety is a useful stress-response that the body uses to help us perform under pressure or danger.

In a more primitive setting we would have used this stress response to help us escape danger. Yet we tend to find ourselves caught in a cycle of anxious thinking that can often feel relentless.

The good news is that through the study of neuroplasticity, or the ability of the brain to change continuously throughout an individual's life, we now know that we can actually rewire our brains to help us reduce these anxious thoughts and perhaps even use them as a motivating force.

With anxiety on the rise, resilience-building practices are important now more than ever. Here are a few examples:

1. Mindful breath

When you feel caught in a flurry of anxious thought, pause and take a deep breath. Look around and allow your eyes to orient to something new you may never have noticed before. Allowing for a moment of perspective-changing can pull one out of an anxious spiral.

2. Move mindfully

Anxiety can be coupled with a restless sensation in the body which can is often alleviated by short bursts of movement like taking a walk around the block or gentle stretching. A regular exercise routine will also aid in the prevention of worrisome thoughts.

3. Practice loving-kindness

Offering yourself phrases of gratitude, or a sense of compassion alleviates worry or anxiety by changing the relationship with ourselves. A simple way to do this is to repeat to yourself internally “I am going to be okay, I am just worried in this moment” or “may I move through this discomfort with grace”. Repeat these phrases or a variation of these phrases until the discomfort passes.

If you experiencing anxious thoughts regularly enough that they cause debilitation, disrupting you from living your life, going to work, or completing regular tasks it may be time to seek out help from a mental health professional who can help you build these healthy habits and patterns with clinical support.