Worry

In stressful periods, when a lot is happening around you, it is completely natural to feel worried, and the feeling usually fades once the situation calms down. There is quite a lot you can do to reduce your worry if you feel it is excessive or negatively affecting you.

Worry is a feeling that signals threat or danger

Worry can be about many things — yourself, the people you care about, or things happening in the world around you. Some of the things we worry about are things we can influence, while other things are outside our control. Worry can make you feel restless and tense in your body. It can trigger intense thoughts that are hard to shake off. It may disturb your concentration, affect your sleep, and create physical tension. 

Thought chains and rumination are common
Worry is often future‑oriented and can lead to long chains of thoughts starting with “what if…”, followed by the scenario you are worried about. For example: “What if I embarrass myself?”, “What if I don’t pass the exam?” or “What if I can’t find a job after graduation?”
Sometimes worry takes the form of ruminating about things that have already happened: “Why did I do that?”, “If only I had…”, or “I should have done things differently.”

What you can do to reduce your worry

Avoid long thought chains
Often, the problem is not the worry itself but how we respond to it. You cannot stop your worry from being triggered, but you can train your ability to avoid arguing excessively with your worried thoughts.

Identify what you can influence
Try to distinguish between what you can influence and what is outside your control. Ask yourself what you can do something about, and what you need to practice tolerating. Keep reasonable expectations of yourself.

Redirect your attention
You can train your ability to shift your focus from your thoughts to something else — for example, by choosing to be mindfully present in what is happening around you right now. You can do this by focusing your attention on what you see, what you hear, or what you sense in your body.

Limit your Googling
Decide how many times a day you will look up information related to your worries. Excessive news consumption or information‑seeking can increase worry and hopelessness. Try to use only trusted sources.

When should you seek help?
If worry and rumination take up a large portion of your time and negatively affect your quality of life, it may be helpful to get support to break the pattern. You can contact Student Health Services for advice and support, or for guidance on where to seek further help. You can also contact your health centre or seek help via 1177.se.

 

Last updated: 2026-03-17