3. Managing Worry

Here you'll find all the worksheets and information you'll need to accompany your learning for Session 3 of our Managing Moods webinars.

What we learned this week

Our worries tend to fall into two categories:

• Practical worries, about things we can do something about, but we're not sure what.

• Hypothetical worries, about things outside of our control

So we looked at two techniques, one for managing each type of worry.

The Worry Tree

The worry tree is a tool we can use in the moment, to choose which technique to use. 

Ask yourself, "can I do anything about this, right now?"

• Yes: It's a practical worry, so use the problem-solving technique to think through what to do

• No: It's a hypothetical worry, so use the worry time technique to help clear your mind and prevent this worry from causing problems in your day.

Resource: There's also an app called Worry Tree, that you can use to help with this.

 

Keeping a Worry Diary

We explored how keeping a diary of what's on your mind can help us to become more aware of our worries, to be able to start using the 'worry tree' effectively. 

Resource: See our Worry Diary guide below.

 

Problem Solving for Practical Worries

We looked at how, although we all spend a lot of time problem-solving in our daily lives, the fight-or-flight response can make it harder for us to think things through as clearly as we usually would. 

So these steps are likely to seem obvious at first, but we find it's helpful to work through this guide in the moment, to prevent us from jumping to conclusions, taking rash action, or putting things off. 

1. Define the problem clearly
2. Weigh up the pros and cons of solving it
3. Think of all the options you could try
4. Narrow it down to a few, and weigh up their pros & cons
5. Choose the solution that seems best
6. Plan how to implement it
7. Do your plan
8. Review how it went

Resource: Watch our problem solving video to recap this technique.

 

Worry Time for Hypothetical Worries

We looked at how our worries can snowball throughout the day and become overwhelming. When we try not to think about what's been on our mind, we find that impossible - but instead, this technique helps us to delay thinking about our worries, to a time that we choose.

1. Plan in worry time as part of your daily routine
2. Throughout the day, write worries in your worry diary
3. Use the worry tree to take action with the problems you can solve, and pin hypothetical worries for worry time.
4. Use relaxation or distraction techniques to move forward with your day
5. At worry time, think about each worry on your list in turn
6. Mark the end of worry time
7. Begin your new list for tomorrow's worry time

Resources:

• Watch our managing worry video to recap this technique. 
• Headspace, free mindfulness exercises to help you clear your mind
• 7 Grounding Techniques to use when you're feeling anxious
• 3 Relaxation Techniques from Mind 
• Worry Tree, an app to help you use the Worry Time technique