Schedule worry time is a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) technique that teaches us how to effectively relieve anxiety and worry.
We all worry from time to time. Also, we rarely have immediate control over the things we are worried about. So we usually worry about undesirable future events or about things that happened in the past that we wish we could change. The problem is that some of us have a tendency to worry about stuff more than is necessary.
Excessive worry can cause physical and/or psychological symptoms. Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, exhaustion, and insomnia we may experience. Dread, fatigue, anxiety, and, in some situations, depression are all examples of psychological symptoms.
So how do we stop worrying?
Unfortunately, we will probably never be able to stop worrying completely. We should, however, gain control over how we deal with our worries when we experience them. We will learn to worry more effectively. The idea of “schedule worry time” comes into play here.
Schedule worry time is a cognitive behavioral therapy technique in which we are encouraged to set aside time specifically to work through our concerns. The time has been set aside solely to consider what is causing us to feel anxious, nervous, or worried. This technique can seem difficult and counter-intuitive at first. However, consistent practice, it can significantly reduce the number of worrisome thoughts.
The Benefits of Schedule worry time
A worry break is a routine period of time set aside to focus on the anxieties or issues that are bothering you.
If that sounds like a recipe for even more stress, consider this: Spending 15 to 20 minutes a day on a worry deep-dive can help you reduce your worries and cope more effectively with the problems that life throws at you. When you focus deeply on your worries at a fixed time rather than allowing them to run wild and interrupt your day, you are better able to come up with constructive solutions.
How does schedule worry time work?
We can divide worry time into three stages:
- Worry Awareness. Recognizing when we have worrying thoughts by practicing mindfulness.
- Worry Delay. Acknowledging worrying feelings and putting them “on hold” to be dealt with later.
- Worry Time. Re-engaging with those worrying thoughts during the scheduled worry time and trying to work through them one at a time.
Step 1: Worry Awareness — Recognizing when we have worrying thoughts by practicing mindfulness
The first step is to identify and mark our worrying thoughts. This is known as mindfulness. Being mindful means being aware of what is going on in the present moment. In our situation, it was aware of our worrying thoughts. The more we try to notice our thoughts on purpose, the simpler the process becomes. It’s important to remember that we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves if we don’t know that we’re caught in a “worrying cycle” at first. As previously mentioned, this procedure requires practice.
Also, according to one study, mindfulness has long been used to help people cope with life’s challenges, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues.
We try to accept that we are worrying once we become aware that we are worrying. Furthermore, we try to accept what we are going through right now and try not to judge ourselves in worldly worries. Rather, we try to accept the fact that we noticed, that we were aware of the worry experience.
Step 2: Worry Delay — Recognizing those worrying thoughts and putting them “on hold” to be dealt with later
If we are aware of our worrisome thoughts, the next step is to consciously try to put those worrying thoughts on hold. That is, we try to put off our worry until a later time. It might be useful at this point to write down our worries in order to remember what we were thinking. If you really are confident, simply recall the nature of the worrying thought. This is the hardest step.
We often believe that by worrying, we can ‘solve’ or ‘prevent’ whatever is worrying us. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. What usually happens is that we get stuck in a “worry cycle.”
This is where we use mindfulness. We try to recognize and accept our worry. We make an effort to accept our worrisome thoughts. Then we try to put off worrying until our schedule worry time.
As previously mentioned, this is the most difficult part. We all get the urge to worry from time to time. We can become anxious as a result of not worrying. Remember that this takes practice. Try to be aware of the feelings that arise when you delay the worrying. Try to pay attention to how they make you feel. Are you able to join them?
Step 3: Worry Time — Re-engaging to those worrying thoughts at the schedule and trying to sort them out
The third move is to make use of the worry time that has been set aside. This is the designated period (usually about 20 minutes) during which we allow ourselves to revisit all of the troubling feelings which we have placed on hold throughout the day.
Once we’ve schedule worry time, we should try not to do anything else but work through the worrisome thoughts that have arisen during the day. It is best not to engage in any other activities that may divert our attention away from our main goal of focusing on our issues.
We try to consider the worries one by one once we’ve re-engaged the worries we noted during the day. We try to discover the nuances of each of the worries. We’re trying to find out why they arose. We try to pay attention to how the worries feel after we revisit them.
We benefit from schedule worry time in three ways:
- Helping us in becoming more mindful of how we worry (and think)
- Showing us that we can sit with any anxiety that delaying our worries might cause
- Helping us to notice that perhaps what we thought were insurmountable worries, in comparison to our other worries, aren’t really that big of a deal
Schedule worry time helps us to see our problems from a different perspective. It helps users prioritize their worries. It may also allow us to see that what we thought were insurmountable concerns were not so insurmountable after all.
Of course, there may be moments when our worries are just as troublesome as they were when we originally experienced them. In these situations, we may need to make a plan to take action. As an example, actively prepare for a future situation or talk with a trusted friend or colleague. If a worry is persistent and troubling, mental health professionals are also a helpful way to start.
Worry Break Over? Time to Move On
Switch gears when your worry break is over. Remember that you will have another worry break on the calendar if you get fixated on a problem. Meanwhile, you can now focus your energy elsewhere.
So, worry away — when the time comes, it will come.
The Bottom Line
It should be noted that this technique is only effective with practice (and patience). We can’t expect to be piano virtuosos the first time we sit down at a piano. And we also need time to retrain how we worry. Recognizing our worries and emotions takes practice. The change will probably not occur overnight. We can learn to worry more effectively with practice.
