It's normal to worry a little, but some of us go overboard. If you find yourself compulsively worrying, you will probably have some of these traits:
1. You find it hard to get to sleep
Your brain doesn’t switch off at night, you spend hours tossing and turning at night trying to fall asleep. You’ve had tried everything, but thoughts just keep racing through your head. You end up staying up all night watching the Breaking Bad box set again to get yourself to sleep.
2. You read way too much into your dreams
Any time you have a dream and you happen to remember it, you think that there is some deep existential meaning behind it. Usually it’s just a lot of random stuff that when it’s put together makes absolutely no sense.
3. At the smallest sign of sickness, you have to check all your symptoms online
Worriers are known hypochondriacs and when you get even the smallest dose of something, you feel like you are going to die of a fever. Times have changed and we have medicine for everything now, the worst advice you can give worriers is to check their symptoms online, it will just make them think they have loads of diseases they have never heard of.
4. You spend too much time dwelling on compliments
“What did they mean by that? ” What are they trying to say?”. You think that there is some secret code you have to unlock to find out what they really mean. Usually when someone gives you a compliment they are just being nice and they don’t actually have an alterior motive behind it.
5. Interviews are your worst nightmare
You go through every possible outcome that could happen and only spend time on the bad ones. This can put you in a very negative mindset and the worst thing you thought that would happen actually did.
6. When you hear someone laughing you actually think they’re talking about you
Not in a vain way, as in, of course they’re talking about me, but more that they’re constantly judging you in some way. You look at what you’re wearing or how your hair looks and wonder if it could be that. Their friends just told them a joke, but worriers are constantly paranoid.
7. Worrying about one small thing and then it gets stuck in your head for the rest of the day
You have one small doubt about something and then you can’t seem to shake it for the rest of the day. It constantly reappears throughout the day like a fly that won’t go away. The only relief you have is actually confronting the thing you’re worried about which is an even more daunting task.
8. You’re a first class procrastinator
One of the most clear cut signs that you’re a worrier is that you constantly procrastinate. You will put off anything and everything, just so you won’t have to deal with it straight away. You inevitably end up leaving everything until the last minute when you don’t have time to worry.
9. You act like you’re not phased by criticism, but really it eats you up inside
Someone was actually honest and they gave you constructive criticism, you act as if that you’re ok with it, but really you’re dying inside. “How could they be so right?” They’re really only making an observation, but you make out as if it’s a permanent scar on your self esteem.
10. Change is your mortal enemy
You have a routine that you stick to and anytime there is a change, is a serious spanner in the works. You don’t really deal with change well and it takes you a while to fully adjust to new surroundings.
11. Daydreaming always makes things worse
You’re not like everyone else you don’t daydream about sunshine and lollipops, you think about all the bad things that could happen to you on your way home. If it’s going to be raining and if you will make it in time for your bus, all the signs of a true worrier.
12. Even when everything is going well, you’re convinced that things will turn out pear-shaped
So you’re actually doing well and getting on in life, but you’re still convinced that somehow it’s all going to go horribly wrong. You always think that someone is going to come in an tell you that it’s all over…
via our content partner CT