ARE YOU A WORRIER

'Worry' report: A little bit is good if it yields solutions.  

I'm a worrier. Deadlines, my children, all the time they spend online -- you name it. I even worry when I'm not worried: What am I forgetting to worry about? Two of five Americans say they worry every day, according to a new paper released by Liberty Mutual Insurance. Among the findings in the "Worry Less Report": Millennials worry about money. Single people worry about housing (and money). Women generally worry more than men do and often about relationships. The good news? Everyone worries less as they get older. "People have a love-hate relationship with worry," said Michelle Newman, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Pennsylvania State University, who was not involved in the writing of the report. "They think at some level that it helps them. PROBLEM SOLVING The belief that worrying somehow helps to prevent bad events is reinforced by the fact that we tend to worry about rare events, like plane crashes, and are reassured when they don't happen. People worry less about common events, such as car wrecks. But "some worry is actually good for you," said Simon A. Rego, a cognitive behavioralpsychologist.  "It's what we call productive or instructive worry that can help us take steps to solve a problem. A study published in 2002 recruited 57 young adults and asked them to list their worries in a diary for seven days and rate each worrying episode. When the researchers analyzed the results, they determined that about 20 percent of the worries were about anticipating a negative outcome in the future. But nearly half of all the documented worries reflected a process of problem solving. While that can be constructive, people who worried a lot and couldn't control their worrying were less likely to find a solution to their problem. The researchers, Marianna Szabo, now at the University of Sydney, and Peter F. Lovibond of University of New South Wales in Australia, concluded that failing to come up with solutions leads to more worrying. That kind of worrying can get out of hand. "Excessive worriers have multiple domains that they worry about, and if something triggers a worry in one domain, it can seep into other areas," Rego said, "and things can move back and forth like wildfires -- once one gets going, it can start other fires as well. WORRY TIME If you're worried about your worrying, the report suggests some coping strategies, including: Break your concerns down into four parts: defining the problem, clarifying your goals, generating solutions and experimenting with solutions. Grab a pen and paper and brainstorm, the report suggests. Studies have shown this approach can help ease depression and anxiety. Choose a routine activity and try to experience it fully. Set aside concerns and be "in the moment. Pick a designated time of day to fret about your problems. If a worrying thought enters your mind outside of your scheduled worry session, jot it down so you can think about it during your scheduled worry time. Notice your thoughts and label them (as in "there is the thought that I can't manage"). Let go of tension in your body; soften your forehead, drop your shoulders and relax your hands.