What Came First, the Worry or the Care?
Updated: 2 days ago
You may be familiar with the saying, “I’m worried because I care.” For some people, anxiety and caring go hand in hand. It can be confusing to distinguish the two as different feelings and actions. Worry and care can definitely impact and inform one another, but what if caring was in the driver’s seat?
According to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the words worry and care are defined as follows:
Worry: (Verb) “to think ab
out problems or fears : to feel or show fear and concern because you think that something bad has happened or could happen.”
Care: (Verb) “to feel interest in something : to be interested in or concerned about something.”
Worry
It’s okay to feel worried. And it’s okay to not fully understand it sometimes, it doesn’t make it any less real. However, worry doesn’t necessarily show care or fix the issue at hand. Worry can serve as a false sense of control in an out-of-control situation. You may be someone that over-thinks or ruminates deeply. Because worrying can take energy and focus, it can feel like you’re doing something about it.
Worry is also not necessarily a “problem.” It’s not to say that anxiety is something to be “fixed” or to be wished away. Feelings are information, and if you are feeling worried and anxious about something, it’s a clue that this is important to you - hence the caring! It can be a very real motivator to begin to notice something or begin to make changes.
Can you address anxiety in other ways to help decrease and manage symptoms?
Care
Caring is a wonderful thing. To care about someone is how we create and strengthen relationships. And as humans, we crave connection and thrive on it. To care about something is what connects us to the world and makes things matter. Caring is intention, thoughtfulness, and compassion. Caring can be felt internally within our thoughts, feelings, and hearts. While also being externalized in our expression, communication and actions.
Is caring too much a thing? Generally, for all of the above-mentioned reasons, caring is a great trait and significant to the human experience. “Caring too much,” may be seen as a negative when someone is sacrificing their emotional and physical well-being or overriding their boundaries in the service of others. If you are losing your identity and engaging in one-sided relationships, it may be time to re-evaluate what caring means to you.
Is it possible to care about someone or something, without worry?
How can you show care?
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Sometimes, worry and care will be overlapped and interconnected. Maybe right now, you can’t see a world where they are separate. I’m envisioning different colored yarn, tangled in a knot. Picture yourself gently untangling the two.
What can you do about it?
Ways to address anxiety
Validation & Affirmation, acknowledge and normalize that your feelings exist.
Journal, get the worry out of your head and onto a page (paragraphs or lists).
Movement, focus energy on action through physical activities, tasks or creative expression.
Ways to show care
Express care to someone, talk it out.
Show care with action, write a note, do a kind gesture.
Problem solve, can you offer help to someone or the situation? Do that thing!
To better understand your worry and care may lead to clarity and relief during a time of uncertainty. Acknowledging your anxiety and expressing care may not wash away your stress in an instant, but it might help you along the way.
Interested in learning more about Creatively You Therapy and how therapy can help you?
References
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Worry. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary [simple definition]. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/worry
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Care. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary [simple definition]. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/care
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