Here’s a reason to worry. Literally. Go ahead and worry.
A study in the journal Emotion showed the benefits of fretting. Researchers studied law school graduates after they took the bar exam—but before they got the results. Researchers found that those who worried the most were better prepared for failure, yet were more elated if the news were good. Those who tried everything they could to avoid worrying turned out to be devastated if they failed but underwhelmed if they passed.
The general takeaway, research say, was to recognize that anxiety doesn’t have to be a bad emotion. Everyone feels it, and pushing it aside can make matters worse.
Feel free to worry at your leisure.
