How come worrying is a bad karma ? Buddha stated that Having a confident mind gives a good rebirth ( in heaven etc.).
Most of the time, I worried about not able to complete a task within the desired time.
What would be the karmic effect of this worrying and any other worries ?
Worrying, because of its obsession with self (i.e., "I won't finish") is a form or wrong mindfulness. Right mindfulness attends to what will help oneself and others (e.g., "What effort and action would be of value now?").
But you ask about the effects of worrying. These are listed starting here:
AN10.114:9.1: Wrong mindfulness is a bad principle. Right mindfulness is a good principle. And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by wrong mindfulness are bad results.
The remedy for worrying is to become aware of and be mindful of those around us. In this way we can communicate and coordinate, building what is needed by shared effort rather than by fixating and worrying about "my job" or "my things". Worry is often tied up in Identity View. And the escape is not laziness or blissing out. The escape is right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right immersion.
Generally, worry is would be of and unwanted thing happening or a wanted thing not happening. A wanted thing generates craving and unwanted thing generates aversion. Dwelling on these states of mind continuously generates much negativity which makes you sad and depressed.
If you do not act out by word or deed on the frustration created due to worry this will not be weighty karma which can result in rebirth. Nevertheless, even if you do not act out this will create misery.
So if you seem to be having undue worry best is to take some time to meditate to alleviate it.
Strictly speaking from personnal experience :
Anxiety, sleepless nights, have greatly damaged my health during a decade. So worrying, stress, anxiety, are extremely harmful to the body (more than what is currently understood by allopathic medecine). I had to change life direction and resort to cultivating health and mental balance for a few years to restore my energy and health to an acceptable level. On the mental level, worry and stress created very unlucky events for me. I noticed a pattern that when i feel stressed, worried, things tend to go south for me while when i don't worry things are easier. So surprisingly, anxiety and worry are very negative karmas.
More worrying.
Worry is habitual, thus you should train in concentration to be able to catch it and destroy this defilement.
Think, 'Worry is useless. I must meditate to deal with worry. If my fear becomes true, then it is all the better to practice meditation right now so that I can deal with my fear if it is to happen.'
