Anxiety · Worry

Worry Log Worksheet

Seven days of worry, outcome, and whether the worry was warranted

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A seven-day worry log. What the worry was, whether it turned out to be worth the worry, and what actually happened. Most chronic worry runs on unchecked prediction; the log makes the prediction-vs-outcome gap visible.

Day

The worry (one sentence)

Worry intensity 0–10

What actually happened

Was the worry warranted?

Pattern across the week — how often did the worry warrant its intensity?

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About this worksheet

A seven-day worry log built around the prediction-vs-outcome gap that maintains chronic worry. Each day the client writes the worry in one sentence, rates its intensity 0–10, records what actually happened, and marks whether the worry was warranted in hindsight. Most chronic worry runs on unchecked prediction — the mind rehearses catastrophes, they usually do not happen, but without a log the near-misses feel like the worry 'worked.' The log makes the pattern visible: most worries do not warrant their intensity, and the worries that do warrant it were rarely the ones the client spent most time on. At week's end, the client reflects on the overall pattern — how often did the intensity match the outcome? That reflection is the intervention.

When to use it

Generalized anxiety disorder — the core self-monitoring tool.
Chronic worry that has become background noise.
Bedtime worry loops that block sleep.
Health anxiety — separating warranted concern from rumination.
As data before starting worry-postponement or worry-time work.

How to use it

1
One sentence per worry, not a paragraph
The log is not the place to work the worry through. Naming it shortly is enough — the point is the pattern across days, not the depth of any one entry.
2
Fill 'what actually happened' honestly
Include the near-misses and the times the feared outcome didn't happen. Both count as data.
3
Review at week's end, not each night
The insight comes from the pattern across seven days, not from any single row.
4
Pair with a next-step tool
Once the pattern is visible, move to worry-postponement, the worry tree, or Butler & Hope productive-vs-unproductive worry work.

Frequently asked questions

Won't logging worries make them worse?+

The CBT evidence is the opposite — brief, structured logging reduces worry over the week because it externalizes and boundaries the process, rather than letting worry run continuously in the background.

What if a worry does turn out to be warranted?+

Great — that's real data. Warranted worries are usually the ones that lead to concrete action; unwarranted worries loop. The log surfaces which is which.

Is this worksheet free?+

Yes. Free printable PDF. Sign in to send as a secure client link.