Worrying can be thought of as "negative fantasy" - thinking about bad things that might happen.  You can easily learn to get your thinking more under your own control.

Difficulty Level: Average      Time Required: 7 days

1. Make a list of things that you worry about.
2. Set aside 15-30 minutes every day as a "worry time" and spend that time intentionally worrying.
3. If you catch yourself worrying at other times - Yell "STOP" to yourself and make a list of things you were worrying about.
4. At your "worry time" that day, spend some time worrying about items on the list. 
5. Modify the amount of time you spend worrying as you begin to get your thinking more under your own control.
6. At the end of your worry time for the day spend a few minutes planning more realistically for the future.   
   

1. Worrying and planning both involve thinking about the future - but planning is productive.
2. Setting aside time to worry is especially helpful if worry keeps you awake at night.
3. Sometimes getting more information about a subject will alleviate worry.
4. Worry is a form of obsessive thinking.  Consider therapy if it interferes in your life.

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• Managing Stress
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Resources
• Too Much of a Good Thing?
• Stress Management Resources
• The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders