Scheduling time to worry

Imagine spending less time each day thinking about things you can’t control. You reserve 15 minutes each day for worrying and doing stressful activities. You spend the rest of the day thinking about other, more enjoyable things. Scheduling time to worry can help you do just that. It can help you better manage your emotions and tackle the day more effectively. What’s more, spending less time worrying can have physical benefits for your health too. Let’s dive into the why and how of scheduling time to worry.

What is worry time?

Worry time is a method to manage stress and anxiety for a set amount of time so that it doesn’t interfere with your life. The concept is simple. You schedule a set time each day to think about things that stress you out. You can use this time to make a plan to address these stressors, write your worries down, or engage in an activity that you’ve been afraid to tackle. 

What are the benefits of worry time? 

One of the biggest benefits of worry time is that it can free your mind to focus on things that bring you joy and nourish your life. Often, we worry about things beyond our control. Rather than spinning your wheels about something you can’t change, you free your energy to experience life more fully. On the flip side, rather than avoiding uncomfortable thoughts, you give yourself time to address them head-on during your worry time. 

Worry time can be productive. Sometimes the things that worry us the most require action from us that we might be dreading. Use worry time to take this action. Make that uncomfortable phone call, pay that bill or schedule that appointment. You might find that it takes less time and energy to tackle the task head-on in a small window of time than it does to worry about it endlessly. 

Lastly, worry time can have measurable physiological benefits. Stress can: 

• Elevate blood pressure 
• Cause headaches 
• Disrupt sleep 
• Disrupt digestion
• Disrupt blood sugar regulation
• Contribute to weight gain.

When you spend less time per day worrying, you might improve in any of these areas and more. 

How do you schedule worry time?

Schedule your worry time to fit your unique schedule. Try to pick a time during your daily routine that is convenient and makes the most sense. Then use these tips to make the most of your worry time:

• Consistency is key: Pick the same time each day. Set an alarm or calendar time on your device.
• Make sure your worry time is in the same place each day
• Limit your worry time to 15-30 minutes
• Pick an uncomfortable seat so that you don’t feel tempted to stay in worry time longer than your set time
• Do other stressful activities during this time, like catching up on current events 
• Write your worries down. If you can think of solutions or next steps, write those down too.

One challenge with worry time is knowing how to stop when time is up. Here are some tips to help you stay on top of ending worry time:

• Set a timer on the other side of the room. When the alarm goes off, you have to leave your seat to turn it off. Perhaps leave the timer next to the door or by a book that you enjoy.
• Switch from worry time straight into a gratitude practice
• Take a walk or do something physical at the end of your worry time
• Schedule time for something you enjoy at the end of your worry time