A Personality Test
If we do something that makes us feel good, we are likely to do that something again in the future.
And, of course, if we do something that makes us feel bad, we will try to avoid making the same mistake again.
This principal, obvious as it is, does make the phenomenon of worrying difficult to understand.
Worrying makes us feel bad. So how is it that some people become chronic worriers?
It would seem that the unpleasant emotional consequences of worrying would be enough to motivate anyone to give it up.
It is important to keep in mind that worrying is not all bad.
It can serve to motivate us to try harder, to find a better solution.
So even if you scored as high as the 85th percentile, it does not necessarily mean that you have a problem.
The key is to discern if you are worrying productively or needlessly.
It can be difficult to draw a clear line between the adaptive and the maladaptive, but if you find yourself worrying most days, the odds are excellent that you are guilty of needless worries.
The attempt to change your style is likely to be worth the effort.
Everybody worries from time to time. You will find below a series of statements that can apply to worrying. Please use the scale be- low to describe to what extent each item is characteristic of you (Please note the number that describes you best in the space be- fore each item):
5 = Entirely characteristic of me
4 = Very characteristic of me
3 = Somewhat characteristic of me
2 = A little characteristic of me
1 = Not at all characteristic of me