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Then Why Worry?

Caught in a loop of worry? Two simple questions show that, either way, worrying isn’t helping.

“If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.”

Attributed to Shantideva, 8th-century Buddhist monk and scholar

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Try this:

Then Why Worry?

  1. Think of a worry. Something that keeps going round in your head, at work or in life, big or small.
  2. Answer two questions. Be honest with each answer and follow where it leads.
    1. Do you have a problem in life? If not, then why worry?
    2. If you do, can you do something about it? If you can, then why worry? Do it. If you can’t, then why worry? Worrying won’t change it.
  3. Ask yourself: is worrying helping me? What would help instead? Then try it with the next worry on your mind.

Watch the video

Gaur Gopal Das walks through the flowchart in about a minute.

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The flowchart

The Then Why Worry? flowchart Do you have a problem in life? If no, then why worry? If yes: can you do something about it? If yes, then why worry? If no, then why worry? DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM IN LIFE? CAN YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? NO YES YES NO THEN WHY WORRY?
Whichever path you take, it ends in the same place.

Why use it

Worry feels as if it’s doing something useful, but it rarely is. It replays the problem without moving it forward, and it drains the energy we need to deal with it. This flowchart cuts through that in seconds.

What it is

Two questions with only two possible answers each. If there’s no real problem, there is nothing to worry about. If there is a problem and you can do something about it, the useful thing is to do it rather than worry. If you can’t do anything about it, worrying won’t change it, so you can put your energy into what you can control: your attitude and your actions.

It doesn’t mean pretending a problem isn’t there. It means seeing the worry for what it is, then choosing a more helpful response: action, or acceptance.

When to use it

  • A worry keeps going round and round in your head.
  • You’re lying awake thinking about something you can’t fix tonight.
  • You want a quick reset before a meeting, a decision or a difficult conversation.

If you can act, the Next Positive Action tool helps you pick your first step. If you can’t, the Focus on What You Can Control card is a good reminder.

Based on the “Then why worry?” flowchart, as explained by Gaur Gopal Das in the video above. Flowchart redrawn by Zoom-Out.

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