If you struggle with anxiety, worry is likely a part of your daily experience.

Do you worry that perhaps you worry too much?

Do you understand the purpose of worry and what triggers it?

If you've got questions, I have at least a few of the answers.

Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist.

I'm your host, Dr. Monica Johnson.

Every week on this show, I'll help you face life challenges with evidence-based approaches,

a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

What is worry?

Worry is a cognitive process.

Some have said that worry lives in the mind and anxiety lives in the body.

Worry typically involves anticipating and focusing on future events.

On the healthier end of the spectrum, worry can be seen as mental planning.

One may worry about a potential future scenario and an effort to predict negative outcomes

and be prepared for probable eventualities.

However, you and I both know that's not typically how your worry plays out.

It may start out sensible, but it eventually hits mad-hatter levels of nonsense.

There are a few main triggers of worry.

The first is new or unfamiliar situations.

You hear it all the time.

We all hate change.

Many of us would prefer to stay in a negative but known situation than to approach an unknown

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