Worry Postponement Tool: An Interactive CBT Exercise for Anxiety | PsychKit.org

The Worry Postponement Tool

An Interactive CBT Exercise to Manage Chronic Worry

My Worry Log

Capture worries here to address during your scheduled “Worry Time.”

What are you worrying about right now?

Parked Worries

Your parked worries will appear here.

Schedule Your “Worry Time”

Choose a specific 15-20 minute window each day to dedicate to your worries. Pick a time when you can give them your full attention, but not right before bed.

What is Worry Postponement?

Worry Postponement is a core technique from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) designed to help you manage chronic and excessive worry, a key feature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The goal is not to stop worrying altogether, but to take control of when and where you worry.

Instead of letting anxious thoughts interrupt you throughout the day, you make an appointment with them. You acknowledge the worry, “park” it in a designated place (like this digital log), and commit to thinking about it during a scheduled, limited “Worry Time.” This interactive tool will help you put this powerful strategy into practice.

When Should I Use This CBT Tool?

This tool is designed for anyone who feels that worry is taking over their life and stealing their attention. Use this technique when you:

Find yourself worrying constantly throughout the day.
Get easily sidetracked from work, school, or conversations by anxious thoughts.
Struggle with “what if?” thoughts that spiral out of control.
Want to learn how to “contain” your worry instead of letting it run your day.
Are looking for a practical, structured way to address chronic anxiety.

The Science Behind It: Regaining Attentional Control

The effectiveness of worry postponement is rooted in how it changes your relationship with your thoughts and strengthens your attentional control.

Breaking the Habit of Worry: Chronic worry is a mental habit. The more you do it, the stronger the neural pathways for worry become. When a worry pops up and you immediately engage with it, you are reinforcing that habit. By consciously deciding to postpone it, you are actively breaking the cycle and weakening the habit.
Testing Your Predictions: Many of our worries are about future catastrophes that never happen. When you postpone a worry and come back to it later, you often find that the feared outcome didn’t occur, or that the worry feels much less intense and important than it did in the moment. This provides powerful evidence that most worries are not urgent threats that require immediate attention.
Strengthening Attentional Muscles: Your attention is like a muscle. Every time you notice a worry and successfully redirect your focus back to the present moment (with the promise to deal with the worry later), you are doing a “rep” that strengthens your ability to control your focus. Over time, it becomes easier to choose where you place your mental energy.

Important Safety Disclaimer & When to Seek Help

This tool is for educational and skill-building purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or therapy for anxiety disorders.

Worry postponement is a safe and effective technique for managing worry. However, it is not meant for “productive” problem-solving. Your Worry Time is for worrying, not for planning. It’s also important to choose a Worry Time that is not right before bed, as this can interfere with sleep.

If you experience severe, uncontrollable worry that causes significant distress and impairment in your daily life, it is a sign of strength to seek support from a qualified mental health professional. CBT is a highly effective treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. If you are in crisis, please call your local emergency number.

Worry Postponement: An Interactive CBT Tool to Stop Worrying