The trouble with worry is that you feel like you are doing something about your bothersome

concerns. Excessive worry causes a person to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems. The word worrywart came into being from the comic character “Worry Wart” who was imagined by J.R. Williams in the 1920s. He was not a worrier, but his character caused others to worry with worrisome thoughts. Then the term “worry wart” originated in the 1930s and 1940s and refers to someone who is overly concerned. “Worry” is from the old English word wrygan, which means “to strangle.” A Wart is also from the old English wearte can be a growth on the skin. A person’s worries can bug them and get under their skin even causing a rash. Since 1956 that year is often cited as the first documented use of "worrywart" in its modern sense in sources such as the “Oxford English Dictionary”.

Even the Bible mentions Martha as the biblical figure most explicitly identified as a "worrywart" when Jesus tells her, “You are worried and upset about many things" (Luke 10:41).

Mary Oliver, in her poem I Worried expresses poetically the possibility of unforeseen potential problems that can capture your mind:

I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers flow in the right direction, will the earth turn as it was taught, and if not, how shall I correct it?

Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven, can I do better?

Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows can do it and I am, well, hopeless.

Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it, am I going to get rheumatism, lockjaw, dementia?

Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing. And gave it up. And took my old body and went out into the morning, and sang.

What “If” Thinking

"What if" thoughts are hypothetical questions that create a cycle of rumination, worry and anxiety by focusing on worst-case scenarios, which may become difficult to stop. To manage these thoughts, you can try focusing on what you can control, ground yourself in the present facts, and challenge the negative predictions by considering realistic outcomes or your ability to cope,

• Hypothetical and negative:
  "What if" thoughts are intrusive, hypothetical questions that start with "what if" and often spiral into negative predictions about the future and are fear-based. 
• Examples:
  "What if I fail my exam?" or "What if my headache means I have cancer?" are examples. 
• Anxiety triggers:
  They often lie beneath fears of rejection, insecurity, or loss, and feed worry. 

How to manage them

• Focus on control:
  Ask yourself, "What can I control?" and focus your energy on that one aspect. 
• Stay present:
  Ground yourself in the present, here and now, by focusing on what is happening right in front of you, rather than on future fears. 
• Challenge the thought:
• Examine the evidence: Ask for evidence that the thought is true and evidence that it is not. 
• Consider realistic outcomes: Follow the "what if" cycle to its conclusion to see if the outcome is realistic. You can also ask yourself if you could handle a negative outcome if it were to happen. 
• Reframe: Try replacing "what if" thinking with "if, then" thinking, which can help you feel more in control and grounded. 

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy." – Leo F. Buscaglia