How to Stop Worrying and End Anxious Thoughts

The consequences of chronic worrying can manifest in various ways. Here are some examples of the physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms of constant worrying:

Restlessness. You may feel physically jittery, or restless and unfocused at work or school because your attention is so focused on your worries.

**Fatigue.** You can feel exhausted if your body’s stress response is active for too long. You may find yourself sleeping a lot but quickly feeling tired again.

**Sleeplessness.** On the other hand, your worries can keep you awake at night. You might have a hard time quieting your thoughts before bed, kept awake by the various “what-if” situations running through your head.

**Muscle tension and pain.** Many people carry stress in their bodies. You might clench your jaw when you’re worried, for example, which can trigger headaches. Or you may adopt a rigid posture, which causes aches and pains in other parts of the body.

**Self-medication.** You may self-medicate by turning to drugs or alcohol to change how you feel, or try to distract yourself from your worries by gambling or spending too much time online.

**Changes in social life.** The effects of chronic worrying can also spill over into your social life. You might find that you become short-tempered with people around you, or even self-isolate from others because you feel so emotionally exhausted and on edge.