Set aside worry time
It’s important to take some time to work through your thoughts, feelings and emotions outside of bedtime.
Talking is power
If you have someone you feel safe talking to, it can be really helpful to put those worries into perspective.
Write them down
Additionally, writing down your worries and anxieties can also make them feel easier to deal with.
It’s not sensible to just tell people to “stop worrying”, because presumably they would if they could.
But we can try to postpone our worry to a sensible time that doesn’t interfere with our sleep.
Make time
It can be helpful to set aside 20-30 minutes a day “worry time.”
During this time, write down everything that is worrying you. Take each problem in turn, ask yourself if there is anything you can do to solve the problem? If not, cross the problem out and move onto the next problem.
If yes, write down every possible solution to the problem you can think of (even really unlikely or ridiculous ones).
Choose the most helpful solution and write down all the steps you are going to need to take to achieve it. Write as much as you can.
Write down any obstacles and how you might tackle them. Make a plan for when you are going to deal with the problem and set aside any further worry until then.
Use our template
You can use the sheet to help you try this strategy out:
Whenever you find yourself worrying, remind yourself to save it until your next “worry-time.”
If worrying thoughts pop into your head at night, just asking yourself ‘is there anything I can do about this now?
- No? Then let it go.
- Yes? Jot it down quickly and tell yourself you will deal with it tomorrow.
Jotting down a few things we are grateful for before bedtime each night has also been found to be helpful in getting a good night’s sleep.
Page last reviewed: 7 February, 2024