Worries sometimes feel like a swarm of mosquitoes. No matter how much you wave your hands or swat them away, they keep buzzing around, demanding your attention. And the worst part is that worrying is often useless, rarely leading to a solution.
Our Productive Worrying worksheet offers a way out of endless rumination. In this activity, clients write down their worries and identify the next step they’ll take toward a solution. This makes it easier to set worries aside and then return to them later with a plan.
Use this handout with clients who struggle with anxiety or rumination. Be sure to emphasize the importance of focusing on just the next step—not the resolution of the worry. If a worry is something that cannot be resolved, it’s okay to write “I will work toward accepting this worry” as the next step. After your client has completed the worksheet, challenge them to not return to their worries until it’s time to take the next step.
This intervention can also be used for insomnia caused by worrying, with studies showing less arousal after applying the technique (Waters & Carney, 2006; Espie & Lindsay, 1987). When using the worksheet for insomnia, it’s recommended to complete the activity at least two hours before bedtime. If worries do arise, encourage your client to focus on the planned next step and to remember that continuing to worry will be pointless.
