We’re often told that we shouldn’t live in fear or let worry affect us, and there are definitely advantages of this advice. But there is such a thing as a healthy dose of worry, recent research suggests, especially when we are faced with real dangers. In a study of over 300,000 adults in the United Kingdom, people who considered themselves worriers were better health-wise than those who worried less. Over a multi-year period, they had a lower risk of dying of a range of diseases.
The researchers proposed a potential explanation for these differences Worriers may be more likely to notice physical problems and quickly seek medical attention for them, increasing the chance of noticing and treating diseases in early stages. In addition, they may show more health-related behavior like exercise and healthy eating in an effort to stave off negative heat results.
Other negative emotions, like anger and tension, don’t have the same benefits as worry in the study, probably because they don’t increase heath watchfulness in the same way. Worry may be an unpleasant emotion, but it can make us act in ways that protect ourselves and others.
Other research has also found health benefits connected with worry. For example, one study found that smokers who worried more about the negative health effects of smoking were more likely to give it up within eight months. Another study found that people who not only understood the risk of skin cancer but worried about it were more likely to wear sunscreen as a preventative measure.
Despite these benefits, worrying about health sometimes can be bad. For example, we might fear the behavior that is in fact safe. And frequent, unconstructive worry, health-related or not, can disturb sleep quality and increase the risk of stress related illness. Too much worry is also a sign of generalized anxiety disorder.
Constructive worry is likely to be more solution-focused than unconstructive worry. The feeling of worry reminds us of a potential danger, which makes us think through how to address that danger. For example, if you read an article about the risks of spending a lot of time sitting down and become concerned about how much time you spend sitting during the day, you might consider different ways to increase your activity level or talk with your doctor.
Sometimes we worry about things that are largely out of our control and don’t necessarily have practical solutions, like an upcoming medial test or the unpredictability (不可预知性) of a loved one’s physical condition. These are normal worries and are not unconstructive—they may still make us take action that benefits us, even if we can’t solve the problem or control the result.
Telling ourselves simply not to worry is unlikely to make those feelings go away. But we can choose to respond with understanding and comfort, rather than going down the rabbit hole of worst-case situation.
4. Why could worry be beneficial to our health?
A.It could help us set more practical goals. |
B.It could draw our attention to our health. |
C.It could inform us of possible solutions. |
D.it could make us recover from diseases. |
5. What does the underlined part “stave off” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Analyze. | B.Remind. |
C.Change | D.Avoid. |
6. How does the author prove the benefits of worry?
A.By presenting scientific research. |
B.By comparing negative emotions. |
C.By explaining the reason for worry. |
D.By introducing heath related habits. |
7. What does the author tin of worrying about things out of control?
A.It is harmful to our health. | B.It can still be of some help. |
C.It can take plenty of time | D.It will make ting worse. |