The Worry Diary

©2020 PoetsIN™
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The Creative
Registered Charity 1174754 Mental Health Charity
Worrying too much can stop you focusing on the everyday things in life. It’s easy to
feel trapped in a cycle of worry, feeling tense, on edge, unable to cope, and can result in
insomnia when a standard-size problem becomes overblown in a person’s mind. Once in
this cycle of worry, it can be difficult to escape.
What is the Worry Diary?
It’s a simple way to get a grip on the constant
whirlwind of worry that can cloud your vision and stop
you getting on with life when all seems too much to
deal with. It can help you put things in perspective.
Like any good habit it is worth working at it, as many
have said it has changed their lives.
How does it help?
By getting you to focus on worries, whether you can
do something about them, by putting aside time each
day to ponder upon them, break them down and take
action or move on.
There are two main types of worries: practical worries
and hypothetical worries.
PRACTICAL WORRIES are something we can do
something about. They are within our “circle of
influence” and we normally require us to put into place
a plan to deal with them.
HYPOTHETICAL WORRIES are ones we cannot do
anything about. They are often ‘what if’ thoughts
and if you struggle with anxiety you may have a lot
of these – often when you are trying to sleep. This
can create the real noise in your head and stop you
focusing on your normal day to day tasks.
Once you get into the Worry Diary habit, you realise
how much of your time is taken up worrying about
things that you can do absolutely nothing about. This
can be pivotal in getting on top of your worries.
How do I do it?
NOTE IT DOWN Every time a worry pops up, note it
down. You can either use the detailed Worry Diary
template (downloadable from our site) or note them
down simply in a journal, pad or app.
WORRY TIME Set aside a period of time each day to
focus on your worries – and try to only worry in that
timeframe. Allow about 20 minutes each day, ideally
around the same time, to frame it as ‘worry time’.
©2020 PoetsIN™
THINK ABOUT THEM Focus on each worry, paying
particular attention to the hypothetical ones; and
commit thought as to why it is that you cannot affect
the ‘what ifs’ that take up your headspace. If you are
a visual learner, you can cut or tear these worries
from the page and write over them why it is that you
can’t do much about them. Then screw it up and
throw it away - or even burn it! (Safely!!)
PUT PLANS INTO PLACE With the practical worries,
the ones you can do something about, decide what
actions you need to take, schedule those actions and
add them to your task or to do list.
NEW WORRIES You may have new worries pop up
during worry time. If you do, write them down and
deal with them in your next worry time.
KEEP TRYING Everyone’s different, it could click
into place quickly or take a while – there are no time
limits – but it will highlight how many of your worries
cannot be changed either way.
Again, if you are a visual learner, you may no longer
need to write them down and find that you are
tearing them out, writing your reasoning over them
and throwing them away – all in your mind.
It’s a powerful tool and we hope you find it as useful
as we know any people have.
How do I start?
However works best for you. You may want to write
them out and throw them away, you may want to
meditate on the worries when reading your diary –
and you may end up doing it all in your head.
The aim is to allow the time to address them,
categorise them, plan to deal with practical worries
and recognise hypothetical ones as timewasters and
move on. Continually maintaining your Worry Diary
should help you sort the wheat from the chaff with
your worries and leave you with clearer thoughts
Flowchart
We have put together a downloadable flowchart to
help you remember the process in simple terms.
poetsin.com
 Note down worries as they pop up.
Don’t focus on them until

‘WORRY TIME’

In a quiet place have

20 minutes ‘WORRY TIME’
same time, every day.

New worries
popping up
into head
Think about your worries.

Ask
“CAN I DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THIS WORRY?”

YES! NO!
It’s a practical worry It’s a hypothetical worry

Why is this worry outside of my

What do you need to do?
‘CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE’?

Allow time.

Digest truth
Do it or schedule it
Tear up/Throw away

BREATHE MOVE ON
:)

©2020 PoetsIN™ poetsin.com

Worry Diary
If real, is there something
Situation/Trigger Anxiety rating (%) Worry (What if?) Hypothetical or Real?
you can do about it?

Where were you? Rate your anxiety Try to identify your worry Hypothetical = it hasn’t happened. What action can you
What happened? as a percentage as a ‘What if?’ Real = it has happened take to resolve it?

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