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Worry Time: A Structured Way to Work With Anxiety
- Matthew Hallam
- Jan 28
- 5 min read
Many people who experience anxiety worry a lot. Not occasionally, but persistently. Worry can follow you through the day, show up when you try to rest, and intensify when decisions or uncertainty are present.
Before anything else, it matters to say this clearly. Worry is not a weakness. It is rarely random. For most people, it began as a way of coping.
This article explains what worry time is, why it can help, and how it fits into managing anxiety. It is designed to sit alongside the Worry Time worksheet, which offers a practical way to apply this approach.
Why do we worry so much when we feel anxious?
Worry is often the mind’s attempt to create safety.
When something feels uncertain, worrying can feel like planning. Planning can reduce distress by helping us feel prepared. Over time, worry can become the primary way someone tries to prevent negative outcomes.
Research shows that worry is often maintained because it provides a sense of control, even when it increases anxiety in the long run (Borkovec, Alcaine, & Behar, 2004). In that sense, worry is not the problem. It is an effort to cope with uncertainty.
Why is worry so hard to stop?
Worry is difficult to stop because it often starts automatically.
Cognitive models of worry show that threat-related thoughts can intrude before we consciously decide to engage with them. These intrusions are influenced by learned attention and interpretation biases, particularly in people who have worried for a long time (Hirsch & Mathews, 2012).
Once worry is active, it is not simply a choice to continue. It becomes a mental habit that feels important to follow through.
This helps explain why telling yourself to “stop worrying” rarely works.
What happens when worry has no boundaries?
When worry is uncontained, it often shifts away from practical planning and into speculation.
We begin planning for assumptions rather than facts. The mind focuses on hypothetical future threats instead of current information. Hirsch and Mathews (2012) describe worry as largely verbal and abstract. It stays vague, unresolved, and mentally unfinished.
This style of thinking keeps the brain in a state of alert. Instead of reducing uncertainty, it can create more of it.
What is worry time?
Worry time is a structured way of working with worry rather than trying to eliminate it.
Instead of worrying throughout the day, you deliberately set aside a specific time to focus on worries. Outside that time, worries are acknowledged and postponed.
Worry time respects the role worry plays as a coping strategy. It does not dismiss it. It places boundaries around it.
Why does worry time help some people with anxiety?
Worry time works because it changes how worry is engaged with.
Research shows that worry consumes attentional control resources. The more someone worries, the harder it becomes to disengage from it (Hirsch & Mathews, 2012). Worry time reduces this constant cognitive capture by containing worry to a specific window.
This often leads to three shifts.
First, the mind learns that it does not need to stay alert all day. There is a planned time to review concerns.
Second, distance is created. When worries are revisited later, people are often calmer and better able to distinguish between what requires action and what is speculation.
Third, perspective improves. Worries can be evaluated more clearly, rather than spiralling unchecked.
Is worry time the same as challenging thoughts?
No. Worry time comes before thought challenging.
Challenging thoughts requires mental flexibility and emotional space. When anxiety is high, those resources are limited. Worry time helps create that space by containing worry rather than engaging with it immediately.
Once worry is more contained, cognitive strategies tend to be more effective.
What does calming the nervous system have to do with this?
Calming the nervous system supports worry time, but it is not the purpose of the strategy.
When the body is highly activated, the mind is more likely to default to worry. Basic regulation skills can make it easier to step back and postpone worry without feeling unsafe.
Worry time focuses on boundaries around thinking, not on forcing thoughts to stop.
How does this relate to emotional skills?
Emotional skills research emphasises responding to emotions with awareness rather than suppression.
Marc Brackett describes emotional skills as recognising emotions, understanding their purpose, and choosing how to respond. Worry time reflects this approach. It treats worry as meaningful information rather than something to eliminate.
For many people, postponing worry goes against long-standing coping habits. That is why it can feel uncomfortable at first.
How do I use the worry time worksheet?
The worksheet supports three core skills.
You learn to notice worries without immediately engaging with them.You practise containing worry to a specific time.You sort worries into what is actionable and what is speculative.
Between worry times, worries are acknowledged and postponed rather than analysed. Over time, this helps reduce constant mental scanning.
When might extra support help?
If worry feels constant, exhausting, or is affecting sleep, work, or relationships, support can help. Therapy can assist with understanding the role worry plays, reducing unhelpful patterns, and learning how to apply strategies like worry time safely and effectively.
Key takeaway
Worry is not something to get rid of. It is something to understand.
Worry time offers a structured way to work with worry without letting it take over. It helps you step back, zoom out, and notice when worry has shifted from coping into speculation.
References
Borkovec, T. D., Alcaine, O. M., & Behar, E. (2004). Avoidance theory of worry and generalized anxiety disorder. In R. G. Heimberg, C. L. Turk, & D. S. Mennin (Eds.), Generalized anxiety disorder: Advances in research and practice (pp. 77–108). Guilford Press.
Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., & Salovey, P. (2011). Emotional intelligence: Implications for personal, social, academic, and workplace success. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(1), 88–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00334.x
Hirsch, C. R., & Mathews, A. (2012). A cognitive model of pathological worry. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 50(10), 636–646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2012.06.007
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Living with anxiety often means carrying an invisible load, and we see these patterns as your brain working hard to keep you safe.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional psychological or medical advice. The content is intended to support general wellbeing and personal growth, but it may not address specific individual needs. If you have mental health concerns or require personalised support, please consult a qualified healthcare provider. Equal Psychology, Equal Breathwork, Reflective Pathways and its authors are not liable for any actions taken based on this information.
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