CBT · Anxiety

Worry Window Worksheet

Give worry a scheduled 15 minutes and ask it to wait

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Chronic worry doesn't respond to "stop worrying" — it responds to a container. Worry postponement gives worry a scheduled 15-minute window and asks it to wait until then. Most of what shows up in the window has already lost its charge.

My daily worry window (time + place)

When a worry shows up outside the window: write one line here, tell it "I'll come back at [time]", and return to what you were doing.

Time

Worry (one line)

Still charged at window?

Of the worries that were still charged, which one is actually solvable?

One concrete next step for the solvable one

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About this worksheet

Chronic worry doesn't respond to 'stop worrying' — the harder the client tries, the more the worry rebounds. It responds to a container. Worry postponement (a core CBT-for-GAD intervention) gives worry a scheduled 15-minute window each day and asks it to wait until then. The client keeps a light log through the day: when a worry shows up, they write one line, tell it 'I'll come back at [time]', and return to what they were doing. At the window, they scan the log and mark which worries still have charge. Most don't — the worry got its container and dissipated. The few that do are almost always the solvable ones, and the sheet ends with a concrete next step for one of them. Two weeks of consistent use typically cuts total daily worry time by half or more.

When to use it

Generalized anxiety disorder as the first behavioral intervention.
Chronic worry that intrudes on work, parenting, or sleep.
Bedtime rumination — schedule the window earlier in the evening.
As homework alongside cognitive work; the container makes cognitive work possible.

How to use it

1
Schedule the window
Same time, same place, every day. 15 minutes. Not right before bed and not right after waking.
2
Log worries as they arrive
One line only. The point is to acknowledge the worry, not to think it through in the moment.
3
Say 'I'll come back at [time]'
Naming the appointment out loud or in writing calms the worry more than internal 'not now' — it feels heard rather than suppressed.
4
At the window, mark what still has charge
Most worries won't. The intervention is watching this happen and building trust that the container works.
5
Pick one solvable worry, one next step
Worries that survive the window are usually solvable. The sheet ends with a concrete action.

Frequently asked questions

What if I can't wait until the window?+

Write the one-line log and try to return to your activity. If a worry actually can't wait, it belongs in the 'solvable, needs action now' category — take the next step. Most can wait.

Is postponement the same as suppression?+

No — suppression tells the worry to go away. Postponement gives it an appointment. The evidence base for postponement is strong; suppression backfires.

Is this worksheet free?+

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